


Half

by NemesisNyx



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2019-10-20 02:32:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 38
Words: 32,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17613791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NemesisNyx/pseuds/NemesisNyx
Summary: Svet- Catherese for lovesaa- Catharese for sweet





	1. Chapter 1

The first thing Aric noticed about Sergeant Tandeyr Colm was, oddly enough, her ears. Pointed. Pointed ears in a human. Her face was freckled like most fair skinned humans and scarred like most soldiers. Her eyes were emerald green, hair blonde. She was a typical human except for her ears which were on full display due to her hair being in bun at the crown of her head.

 

Half breed. Sergeant Tandeyr Colm was a half breed. Interesting.

 

#

 

“Lieutenant?”

 

Aric looked up from his paperwork to see Sergeant Colm holding a laundry basket, shifting from foot to foot in the doorway of the laundry room. “Yes, Sergeant?” Why was she here?

 

“Is it alright if I do laundry here?” She asked earnestly.

 

Aric looked around the near empty room, he was currently the only one occupying it, the only one doing laundry as well. He gestured to one of the many machines. “Be my guest, Sergeant.”

 

She shot him a quick smile as she entered. She walked to one of the machines closer to the back of the room, began sorting her laundry into three washers. Aric raised an eyebrow at that. It appeared Sergeant Colm was sorting her clothes by work fatigues, sleep fatigues, and undergarments. He thought he was the only person that did that.

 

“Sergeant Colm, doesn’t Havoc’s barracks have their own laundry room?” He knew full well that it did.

 

“Yes, sir.” She blushed slightly. “It’s, well, nobody will bother me here.” She shrugged before panic flitted across her face. “Am I not allowed to do laundry here? Am I breaking a rule I wasn’t aware of?”

 

Aric looked into her worried, earnest face and he couldn’t laugh at her. She was so young and new, unsure of everything. “No. You’re not breaking any rules.”

 

The relief was palpable as she relaxed. “Wonderful.” She flashed Aric a smile. She blushed again when he returned it.

 

Aric went back to reading and filing reports, he noted out of the corner of his eye as Tandeyr sat on top of a washing machine, pulling out a book. He took a minute to study her. Delicate was the only way he could describe her, and her clothes hung off her frame, whether it was because she designed it that way or if it was because she was one of those people that never filled out clothes, he didn’t know. Her blonde hair was piled haphazardly on top of her head, some strands hanging down and about her face, he could clearly see her pointed ears. Again he was struck by the blaring knowledge that Tandeyr was a half-breed. But that wasn’t any of his business. What was his business were these reports.

 

“Sergeant Colm, a question.” Aric said, looking down at a report that specifically had to do with her.

 

“Yes, Lieutenant Jorgan?” Tandeyr blinked at her superior officer. Well, he wasn’t actually  _ her _ superior officer, he was just  _ a _ superior officer.

 

“How much would you say was the damage caused by the seps in Talloran?” Part of paperwork was to estimate the damage caused by fighting, to help plan a budget when rebuilding after the war. It was the worst part of the job.

 

“Like in credits?” She cocked her head to the side, scratched her ear.

 

“Yes.” He arched a brow at her. He didn’t know why he felt the need to ask her, but she was there and he infinitely believed in getting information from the source.

 

Tandeyr’s gaze flickered to the report that she had written about the mission, she didn’t bring it up though. “Umm, I’d say it was about three hundred thousand in damage. A lot of the walls there appeared to have been used as target practice, sir.” She pulled on an ear.

 

Aric made a noise of agreement. “Thank you, Sergeant.”

 

“You’re welcome, sir.” Tandeyr flashed him a nervous smile before returning to her book.

 

Several minutes passed, both Aric and Tandeyr doing their laundry in companionable silence. At the sound of voices in the hall, Tandeyr tucked herself into a backward roll and somehow wedged herself behind the wall of washing machines. Aric blinked. One second she was sitting on top of a washing machine, the next she was hidden, even her laundry basket was hidden from view.

 

_ How did she manage that? _ Aric glanced towards the hallway, the voices were getting louder before he glanced back to where Tandeyr was hidden.  _ Damn, she is small.  _ His brain decided to wonder at how she was able to carry around her assault cannon being so petite.

 

“Lieutenant Jorgan,” Needles’ ingratiating voice sounded at the door.

 

Aric snapped his eyes to see Needles and Fuse in the doorway. Needles smiling like a jackass and Fuse looking worried; neither look was unusual for either man.

 

“Yes, Lieutenant Dorant?” Aric did not like Needles.

 

“Have you seen Sergeant Colm anywhere? I want to,” Needles paused, “ask her some questions about her heritage.” There was a mad glint in the medic’s eye that made Aric think Needles meant ‘experiment’ instead of ask.

 

“No, I haven’t seen her.” Aric tried to rein in a shudder of revulsion.  _ So this is what she was talking about. _

 

“Shame, guess Private Farn was lying when he said he saw her come in here.” Needles’ smile lost some of its goodwill.

 

Aric felt sorry for Private Farn.

 

“Uh, thank you, umm, Lieutenant Jorgan.” Fuse stuttered out.

 

Aric inclined his head as Fuse and Needles left, walking back the way they came.

 

Tandeyr stuck her head out from behind a washing machine, Aric shook his head at her, still listening. She nodded in understanding. Fuse and Needles were still in hearing range. When Aric heard the two men step outside the building, Aric waved for her to leave her hiding spot.

 

“Thank you, Lieutenant Jorgan.” Tandeyr breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“That’s why you’re hiding in here.” So Needles wanted to experiment on Tandeyr, not that the Havoc medic could do much without getting in trouble but there was a lot Needles could do in the name of a check-up.

 

Tandeyr nodded, slightly ashamed.

 

“There’s no need to be ashamed of not wanting to be,” Aric thought back to the short creepy conversation with Needles, “questioned about your heritage.”

 

“Thank you, sir.” Tandeyr said it quietly, going back to her book.

 

“Which parent?” He didn’t know why he asked that.

 

“My father.” Tandeyr answered.

 

Aric grunted. Explained why she was human with pointed ears and not Cathar with rounded ears. Male Cathar and female humans always had human children with Cathar tendencies while female Cathar and male humans had Cathar children with human tendencies. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Aric Jorgan never would have thought that he’d have his hands full with a five foot tall, ninety eight pound woman outside of her armor but here he was trying valiantly to get his hammered lieutenant into a taxi. The problem was was that Lieutenant Tandeyr Colm was not cooperating.

 

“I like you Jorgan.” Tandeyr slurred, hugging the increasingly annoyed sober Cathar.

 

“Do you?” If she liked him then she should cooperate and get in the damn taxi instead of hanging all over him like a damn gizka.

 

“You don’t think I’m a freak just because I’m a half breed.” She rubbed her nose along his jaw. “It’s nice. You’re so sweet!” She rubbed her face against his.

 

Sighing, Aric looked to the heavens, trying to ignore the chuckles from his fellow soldiers outside the cantina. This had to be one of most mortifying moments of his life.

 

“Boss, if you liked me, you’d cooperate and get in the taxi. We are holding up the line.”

 

Tandeyr pulled away, frowning up at him. Sniffling, her eyes began watering. “You hate me don’t you, Jorgan?” A silent tear rolled down her cheek.

 

Now the snickers turned into mock outraged gasps.

 

“I don’t hate you.” Aric offered. “I am, however vastly annoyed that you won’t get in the taxi.”

 

Tandeyr’s sniffles got louder. “You hate me.” She dragged a hand under her snotty nose. “It’s because I couldn’t stop them from defecting and fucking up your career isn’t it?” Her voice was quiet, tears running down her face.

 

When Aric didn’t answer, her body lost all tension and he had to catch her to keep her from falling off the taxi pad.

 

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, delicately touching his cheek. “I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough, good enough to stop them.” She wasn’t sniffling anymore but giant, fat tears still slid down her cheeks.

 

Aric closed his eyes. “Boss,” he stopped. “Tan, I don’t hate you. It wasn’t your fault.” He patted her head awkwardly.

 

He opened his eyes to see hope shining in her drunken green gaze.

 

“Really?” She asked.

 

“Really.” Aric didn’t dare look around to see the reactions of the bystanders.

 

“Yay!” She jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck in a viselike hug.

 

Aric patted her back, noticing how her feet didn’t touch the ground. “Let’s get you home, yeah?”

 

“Ok!” Tandeyr said, sadness immediately forgotten as she clambered into the taxi.

 

Aric groaned, had it really been that easy this entire time? Shaking his head, he slid into the seat next to his CO, directing the taxi droid that they were ready for departure.

 

As they went under way, Tandeyr snuggled up next to him.

 

“You’re so warm.” She shivered from the wind, the taxi was open air.

 

“Thank you, sir.” Aric pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

“I’m dizzy.” Tandeyr complained into Aric’s shoulder.

 

“It’s all the Fizzy Bombs you had with the navy boys.” Aric was amazed that such a minuscule person like Tandeyr could drink that much. She had literally drank the navy boys under that table. He’d never seen anybody do that before.

 

“But they’re so yummy!” Tandeyr starting petting Aric’s head.

 

Aric removed her hands from his head, but she shortly started toying with his ear. Sighing, he grabbed her hands and held them in one of his. She sighed and started nuzzling his shoulder.

 

Aric gave up, Tandeyr was going to touch him no matter what. “That may be so, but you’re going to regret the amount you drank in the morning.” Aric was of the opinion that he’d have a contact hang-over just from watching her.

 

Tandeyr hiccuped, burying her nose in Aric’s neck. Her cold nose.

 

Yelling at the surprising contact, Aric pulled away. “Sir, this amount of touching is frowned upon.”

 

Tandeyr frowned. “But Cathar like touching. It helps with bonding.”

 

Aric sighed again. “Yes, that’s true. But you’re not Cathar.” He regretted that the minute it left his mouth.

 

Tandeyr gasped, her eyes going wide, reacting as if slapped. She pulled away instantly, retreating to the other side of the taxi, getting as far away from Aric as possible.

 

“Apologies, Sergeant. I did not mean to overstep.” Tandeyr rasped out.

 

Aric opened his mouth but she held up a hand.

 

“You’re right. I’m not Cathar. What I did was inappropriate.” She closed her eyes, leaned her forehead against the door of the taxi, and curled into herself.

 

Aric felt like an asshole.

 

#

 

Tandeyr woke up with vague memories of the night before, only the feeling that Aric had insulted her and it was her fault. Trying to remember, she rolled out of bed to head into the refresher.

 

#

 

Aric hadn’t slept well. He had insulted his CO. True, she wasn’t full Cathar but being half, she had to share some of the same traits as a full-blooded Cathar. Obviously, the need for physical affection was one of them.

 

And he had told her she was wrong. He was such an asshole.


	3. Chapter 3

Tandeyr studied herself in the refresher mirror. Despite not remembering what transpired the night before, she felt the need to hide her pointed ears. The sight of them somehow upsetting her, making her sick to her stomach. She hated her teeth, flinching as she saw how pointed they were. She just couldn’t get away from her obvious Cathar heritage.

 

Tandeyr felt lucky that at least her eyes weren’t very Cathar -like. Or obviously Cathar-like, she could see in the dark better than normal humans in low light and her eyes had the typical Cather iridescence in the proper situations.

 

Twisting this way and that, she tried to come up with a new hairstyle that would fit under her helmet and still hide her ears.

 

“Shit.” She muttered. There just wasn’t much of a choice. At least she could hide her teeth by not smiling; not that she’s had much to smile about recently.

 

Making a decision, she styled her hair into a loose bun. It got her hair off her neck and away from her face but it covered the tips of her ears and that was all she wanted.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Tandeyr wondered if Elara was also a plastic surgeon or just a field surgeon. She would ask the medic over drinks.

 

#

 

Elara was an exceedingly observant person, it came with being a medic. And what she observed was the dynamic between her new CO, Lieutenant Tandeyr Colm, and Sergeant Aric Jorgan. Aric was guilty about something to do with Tandeyr; Tandeyr was ashamed of something.

 

“Sir,” Elara began, “was there a reason you invited me out for drinks?”

 

“Oh,” Tandeyr blushed, glanced around, “yes, there was.” She looked around nervously, making sure nobody could overhear them or was looking at them. “You’re a surgeon as well, right?”

 

“Yes, sir.” Elara’s interest was piqued. Why was Tandeyr wondering if she was a surgeon?

 

“A plastic surgeon or just a medical surgeon?” Tandeyr’s gaze zeroed in on the cantina entrance.

 

Aric had just entered. Hopefully he wouldn’t spot them until after Tandeyr asked her question.

 

“I specialised in all forms of surgery while at the academy, sir. And, sometimes, a soldier needed full field medical reconstruction.” Elara’s eyebrows went to her hairline. “Sir, what is this about?”

 

Tandeyr glanced back to Elara before looking back at the entrance. Shit, she lost sight of Aric.

 

“Sir?” Elara’s concerned voice pulled Tandeyr back to the conversation.

 

“I was wondering if you could do me a favor.” Tandeyr beseeched the medic.

 

“And what would it entail?” Elara didn’t want to outright say no, but she couldn’t outright say yes either.

 

Tandeyr scooted closer to the medic, her hands nervously moving to her blonde hair. “I was wondering if you could make my ears look more human?” Turning her head slightly, Tandeyr revealed her pointed ears, first her left ear, then her right.

 

“Why would you want your ears to be more human looking, Tandeyr?” Elara asked softly. She had read Tandeyr’s medical file.

 

Tandeyr shrugged. “Because it’s saying I’m something I’m not.” she muttered.

 

“What was that?” Elara hadn’t heard Tandeyr’s answer.

 

“I’m not a Cathar and I shouldn’t have pointed ears.” Tandeyr cringed. Saying it out loud was hurtful and she really hoped her father wouldn’t yell at her too much the next time she went home to visit. If she got the surgery done.

 

Elara studied the younger woman. “You want your ears to look more human?”

 

Tandeyr nodded her head, lowering her gaze in shame. All her life people had been making her feel ashamed for what she was or wasn’t. She wasn’t Cathar enough, she wasn’t human enough, strong enough, brave enough, tough enough. She wasn’t. And when she finally thought she found acceptance, Aric had rejected her. It hurt. Maybe if she could have surgery, maybe if she could mask what she was, she wouldn’t feel inadequate anymore. “Yes. I’d like to make my teeth more human too.” She flashed her teeth at the medic as well, showing Elara her very Cathar looking mouth. “But I’m aware that only a dentist could fix my teeth.”

 

Elara narrowed her gaze, her heart breaking for Tandeyr. A thought was forming, about why there was an air of guilt around Aric. Somehow the Cathar had made Tandeyr ashamed of herself. Aric Jorgan and Elara were going to have a conversation that he would not enjoy.

 

“Tan,” Elara grabbed Tandeyr’s chin, forcing the younger woman to meet her eyes, “I will do the surgery but only after I make sure you are mentally prepared.”

 

Tandeyr nodded. “You have to do a psych-eval, right?” At Elara’s nod, Tandeyr bit her bottom lip. “Ok, do you know how long that will take?”

 

Elara dropped Tandeyr’s chin, she wasn’t balking at the idea of a psych-eval before the surgery, good, that meant that Tandeyr was expecting to be denied the surgery.

 

“Unsure,” Elara took a deep breath. “I’ll have you answer a questionnaire and we’ll have several sessions to just talk then I’ll make a decision. It’ll take at least two months.”

 

Tandeyr nodded sadly, lowering her gaze back to the table.

 

“How about I go get us some drinks? Hmm? And when I get back, we can talk about something else?” Elara suggested.

 

Tandeyr’s answering smile was small and still uncertain. “Sounds like a plan, Sergeant.”

 

Elara smiled and went to go get two Fizzy Bombs.

 

#

 

Aric stood in the shadows close enough to Tandeyr and Elara so that he could eavesdrop and what he heard he was not happy about. He was pissed, livid, actually. Tandeyr wanted to have plastic surgery to make her ears looks more human. She wanted to change her teeth to be more human. So that she could pass as human.

 

It wasn’t right. It was wrong on so many levels. Tandeyr denying what she was was just going to hurt her in the long run. It’d introduce an awkward conversation to her future spouse-partner-mate about DNA and the children coming out with Cathar tendencies.

 

And it was all Aric’s fault. He had driven her to this. She had wanted him to accept her and he rejected her. Denying her heritage in the taxi back on Coruscant.

 

He was such an asshole.


	5. Chapter 5

Tandeyr never thought she’d see an inebriated Aric Jorgan or Elara Dorne. Yet here the three of them were, drinking in a cantina celebrating the defeat of Haron Tavus and all the SpecForce traitors. It was nice.

 

Tandeyr stood leaning against the bar, watching in amusement as Elara beat a pair of smugglers in a strange drinking game that involved cups and using a spoon to flip a coin in the cup. Tandeyr had never seen the game before but it looked interesting.

 

Shaking her head, Tandeyr finished her drink and decided she needed to get some air; one of them had to be sober and she promised she’d be a responsible CO tonight. -And a little part of her knew that if she got too drunk she’d wind up trying to snuggle with her subordinates, her kriffing Cathar genes taking over; no repeats of Coruscant, she’d learned her lesson.-

 

“I think Dorne needs to be put to bed, boss.” Aric spoke suddenly from the other side of Tandeyr.

 

“You’re probably right.” Tandeyr had gotten used to Aric popping up randomly. It was a Cathar thing to do. “I’ll go rescue the smugglers.”

 

Aric chuckled as he watched Tandeyr go rescue the smugglers from Elara.

 

“Come on, Dorne. Tell the nice gentlemen goodbye.” Tandeyr smiled at the two smugglers.

 

“But Sir! I was winning!” Elara gestured to the game.

 

“I can see that. But we still have an early morning.” Tandeyr pulled Elara from her seat.

 

Elara beamed at her two opponents. “Good bye, gentlemen. Have a pleasant night.” She punctuated her departure with a wave.

 

Tandeyr, with Elara in tow, met Aric by the entrance, he took some of Elara’s weight, the three of them walked outside.

 

“Sir,” Elara slurred into Tandeyr’s ear as the trio hit the outside. “Did you know it’s quite easy to cheat at that game?”

 

Tandeyr shook her head. Elara Dorne cheating at a drinking game? She and Aric shared a look. “I did not.”

 

“It is! Would you like for me to explain the mechanics of it?” Elara’s flushed face shone in drunken pride.

 

“Sure.” Tandeyr laughed.

 

#

 

Tandeyr leaned against the galley counter drinking from a bottle of water. Elara having finally been put to bed after instructing Tandeyr the proper way to put an inebriated person to bed.

 

“So did you ever get a cognizant explanation of how to cheat at that game?” Aric’s voice came from the doorway.

 

Tandeyr jumped, sloshing water over her t-shirt. “Uh, no.” She smiled ruefully in Aric’s direction.

 

Aric walked over and handed her a towel.

 

“Thanks, Jorgan.” Tandeyr met his gaze for a second before sliding her eyes away.

 

“No problem.”  

 

The galley was awkwardly silent. Aric and Tandeyr didn’t know how to talk to each other.

 

She was convinced he hated her, plus whenever she was left alone with him his comment about how she wasn’t Cathar filtered in. It had taken her a while to remember their conversation in the taxi but eventually she did. And it only made her feel ashamed.

 

He was trying to find a way to express his feelings. He’d tried flirting with her with mixed success. The most successful attempt being after Tatooine and a weapon’s malfunction. He’d gotten her to blush and smile at him. He wanted to apologize for being a dumbass back on Coruscant.

 

“Boss,” he started.

 

“Jorgan.” They spoke at the same time. Tandeyr blushed, looked away, motioned for Aric to continue.

 

“I wanted to apologize for being an asshole back on Coruscant.” He hadn’t meant to apologize that way, he meant to be more eloquent.

 

Tandeyr’s shocked gaze met his. “It’s ok, Jorgan.” Her gaze slid to the wall just behind Aric’s head. “It’s the truth.” Despite it being the mo st hurtful thing ever said to her.

 

“It’s not the truth.” Aric muttered.

 

“What?”

 

“It’s not the truth.” Aric said louder; he fixed his gaze over her shoulder. “You are Cathar. You’re also human. You’re the best of both.” There. He said it. He’d been thinking that for a while.

 

Tandeyr blushed to the roots of her hair, she covered her cheeks with her hands, pressed the water bottle to her forehead. Why was she so embarrassed? “Thank you, Jorgan.”

 

She looked away, fanning herself.

 

Aric focused back on Tandeyr and couldn’t help the mild smirk playing across his lips. Complimenting her seemed to fluster her. He filed that away for future reference.

 

“You’re welcome.  _ Sir _ .” He purred the last part, full on grinning now. It was probably his drunken state but he sort of likes flustering Tandeyr with compliments. It was like she didn’t get enough. Well, his inebriated mind decided, he was going to change that.

 

“Apology accepted.” Tandeyr finally stuttered out. Did he purr? Drunk Aric was another person entirely, it seemed. Sober Aric would never purr, especially not at her. Not when purring meant something. “Well, good night, Jorgan.” Tandeyr tentatively patted Aric’s arm, his very bare arm. She didn’t think her face could get any redder, maybe she was wrong.

 

“Good night,  _ Sir _ .” Again the purr along with the maddening grin.

 

Tandeyr’s face felt like it was going to melt off. She did what any self respecting captain would do in the situation, she fled to the safety of her room, closing the door before sliding down it.

 

“Did Aric Jorgan just purr at me? Twice?” She held her hands to her cheeks, still warm, and, she knew, incredibly red. Grinning like an idiot, she began giggling. “Aric purred at me.” She stifled her maniacal laughter with her hands. “Twice.” Tandeyr’s entire body shook as happy giggles took over. “He purred at me twice.”


	6. Chapter 6

It was the day before Tandeyr’s surgery. She was nervous but also convinced it was the correct choice. Sure, Aric apologizing helped, but she still thought it’d be better in the long run. After all, she would never get married or find a life mate so what did it matter? She was too other, too  different, not enough, for anybody to be interested in her. Plus, Aric just said what everybody always thought. The surgery would be easier for everyone in the long run as well.

 

“Sir, make sure you don’t eat or drink anything after midnight.” Elara reminded her as the medic passed by the conference room heading toward her bunk.

 

“I won’t.” Tandeyr looked up from her paperwork. “Good night, Dorne.”

 

“Good night, sir.” Elara graced Tandeyr with a distracted smile, her mind already on how best to shape Tandeyr’s ears.

 

Tandeyr sighed, placing her head in her hands. She was extremely nervous for the surgery. But, it needed to be done. She had already talked to her parents, and, after her father both yelling and crying, admonishing her for her lack of pride in her heritage, he understood.

 

Scrunching her face up, she moved her hands to fondle the tips of her ears. It felt different. She had been told by her cousins that somebody fondling and pinching the tips of one’s ears was a heavenly type of experience. Tandeyr had never experienced it so she didn’t think she’d be missing much.

 

Frowning, feeling like an idiot for fondling her own ears, she dropped her hands back to the table. She had paperwork to finish.

 

#

 

It was nearing midnight and Tandeyr had been staring at the same report for forty-five minutes now. It was time to get some sleep. She was exhausted but the knots in her stomach is what kept her awake, she thought that doing paperwork would help her relax. She’d been wrong.

 

Tandyer groaned as she stretched, her shirt riding up to reveal her toned stomach. The ship’s cool air made her shiver so she rubbed her arms.

 

“Sir, if you get cold, why don’t you wear a hoodie?” Aric’s voice spoken softly and suddenly from the doorway caused Tandeyr to yelp and fall out of her chair.

 

Aric smirked as Tandeyr climbed back into her chair.

 

“I don’t own one.” Tandeyr mumbled, fighting the embarrassed flush that spread across her face.

 

“How do you not own a hoodie?” Aric asked, leaning into the room, his arms on the top of the door keeping him from face-planting onto the floor, his t-shirt riding up.

 

Tandeyr’s eyes were drawn to several inches of Aric’s revealed stomach. Heat infused her cheeks, coughing she averted her gaze.

 

“I’ve just never saw the point of owning one.” Tandeyr shrugged. Why were they having this conversation? “I’ll go purchase one as soon as Elara deems me fit to move around.”

 

Tandeyr and Aric had not talked about the surgery. It wasn’t any of his business but he knew it was happening. Aric shared the same opinion as all of Tandeyr’s Cathar relatives, she shouldn’t be getting the surgery.

 

Aric came to sit down next to Tandeyr. “Do you really need the surgery?” They had never talked about it but they were about to. He couldn’t help but think she was making a mistake.

 

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while.” Tandeyr rubbed an ear on her shoulder. “Ever since I joined the military. It lessens confusion for everybody.”

 

“What do you mean?” Aric had never heard Tandeyr talk this way.

 

“When people look at me they see a human, but then they see my ears, my teeth, notice how my eyes glow in the dark and it makes them uncomfortable. Or makes them want to experiment on me.” She shuddered as she thought back to Needles. “I wasn’t the only half-breed at the academy or even in the Republic, but I’m not the way most half-breeds look.” She shook her head.

 

“Are you still ashamed of how you look because of what I said?” He asked softly.

 

“No.” Tandeyr almost met Aric’s gaze, but her gaze slid to the wall behind his head. “You hurt my feelings because it’s what everybody had always thought but never said.” She shook her head to dispel lingering depressive thoughts. “And it is the truth despite your opinion to the contrary. I’m not Cathar and as such I don’t need pointed ears. If I look human, at least I’ll be able to live my life normally without people asking annoying non medical questions.”

 

It had taken many sessions, spanning over five months, for Elara and Tandeyr to come to the conclusion that why Tandeyr most wanted the surgery was because she felt like a fraud, like she was faking and the shame came from the fact that she felt like she was. It had taken four more months of sessions for Tandeyr to work out that she wasn’t a fraud but she still wanted the surgery because she wanted to at least look human even if she wasn’t; picking the easiest side of her heritage to emulate. Elara has finally agreed to that reasoning. Then it’d taken another four months for the surgery to be approved and three more before Havoc was free enough to be down a CO for a few days.

 

Aric frowned. Tandeyr had a point. A bad one.

 

“Tan,” Aric’s voice dropped an octave on accident. He’d been paying more attention to Tandeyr since he found out she blushed when he complimented her. The way his smile would make her cheeks redden, an outright compliment made her blush five shades of red, how a knowing smirk as he said a double entendre while flirting would cause the tips of her ears to pinken, how the timbre of his voice spoken in a certain way caused gooseflesh to pop up on her skin, how if their bare arms or hands touched her breath would hitch just enough. He hadn’t been kidding when he said he didn’t miss much.

 

“Aric?” Tandeyr met Aric’s lidded gaze before sliding back to the table. He used her name so rarely, she felt she needed to concentrate on his words and she couldn’t if she was looking at him.

 

“May I touch your ears?” If Tandeyr had been raised in a Cathar community she’d realize Aric was coming on to her.

 

Tandeyr blinked, rapidly. He wanted to touch her ears? But that was a come on…..“Sure. Why?” She could’ve kicked herself. Agreeing then asking why? Who does that? Clearly Captain Tandeyr Colm.

 

“I’ve never felt human ears that were pointed. I wanted to see if they were similar to my ears only hairless.” It wasn’t an outright lie.

 

“Oh, ok.” Tandeyr turned to face Aric.

 

Aric moved slowly, his hands tucking Tandeyr’s hair behind her ears, his fingers gliding around the shells of her ears before reaching the tips, his thumb stroking the tips of her ears.

 

Tandeyr’s eyes started open, looking at her lap while Aric felt her ears but the minute his thumbs started stroking the tips, they fluttered closed. It felt wonderful. Why didn’t it feel this fantastic when she was touching her own ears? She bit back a moan as the pressure of his thumbs on her tips became harder.

 

Tandeyr’s ears were so soft, smooth, her skin like silk and Aric couldn’t stop touching them. His curiosity was slacked, now he was just trying to elicit some form of noise from his CO. He lightly pinched the tips of her ear.

 

A moan of pleasure slipped past her lips when Aric pinched her ear tips. Why? Gods, why did it feel so damn good?

 

“Don’t get the surgery.” Aric whispered, voice husky with want.

 

“Why?” Tandeyr opened her eyes, emerald green eyes meeting lime green ones.

 

Aric looked into Tandeyr’s eyes as he tried to come up with a suitable answer other than ‘because if they’re rounded then I can’t make you moan for me again.’ Her emerald green eyes were glazed in passion and she had no idea. “Because you’re beautiful as you are, Tan.”

 

Still pinching the tips of her ears his fingers caressed the shells of her ears. Her eyes fluttered closed as she released another moan. Aric closed his eyes, gods, what was he doing to himself? He fervently wished he could just nibble on an ear, her neck.

 

Tandeyr leaned into Aric’s fingers. Her cousins were right, it really did feel like she was in heaven. She scooted closer to Aric, placing her hands on his thighs as she sought to get closer to the magic he was doing to her body.

 

Aric trilled low in his throat.

 

“Master, Lieutenant Dorne programmed me to remind you to get eight hours of sleep before the surgery.” Seetwo’s helpful voice broke the mood.

 

Tandeyr gasped, jerking away from Aric, already knowing that she was Sith red in embarrassment. “Tha-thank you, Seetwo.”

 

“You’re welcome, Master!” The droid chirped, pleased with itself.

 

Tandeyr refused to look at Aric. “Good night, Aric.” She said softly, a small smile playing on her lips.

 

“Good night, Tan.” Aric smiled back at her.

 

Tandeyr got up, walked into her room, closed the door, flopped down on her bed, and buried her head in her pillow. She definitely more than liked Aric Jorgan.

 

#

 

Aric lay in his bunk and felt smug pride and a little trepidatious. He was falling in love with Tandeyr. 


	7. Chapter 7

Tandeyr felt like garbage. She could barely open her eyes and if she tried to walk or sit up she got vertigo and felt the need to vomit. Being struck with a severe allergic reaction to something one ate was possibly the worst possible thing.

 

What made it worse is in her delirious state she often found herself focusing on the couple inches of Aric’s stomach she glimpsed and how his muscle rippled under his fur. Aric Jorgan was too attractive for his own good in Tandeyr’s personal opinion.

 

Tawny fur, lime green eyes, broad shoulders, slim build, just the perfect amount of musculature, the way his waist tapered into his hips, his ass.

 

And she didn’t even want to think about his voice. Tandeyr groaned, rolling over in her bed, her thoughts needed to calm the fuck down.

 

“Sir, are you alright? You’re looking very flushed.” Elara’s cool hand touched Tandeyr’s forehead. “You don’t have a fever.”

 

Tandeyr just shrugged as best she could without moving her body too much.

 

“I’m giving you another dose of antibiotics. It’ll help you sleep and hopefully get rid of the flush.” Tandeyr could hear Elara rummaging around for medication. “There we go.” Elara injected Tandeyr with the antibiotic. “You should feel right as rain soon enough.”

 

Tandeyr just grunted and closed her eyes, now if only the room would stop spinning.

 

#

 

Aric watched, feigning disinterest as Elara left Tandeyr’s room. On the day of the surgery, he had left the ship, not wanting to be there while Tandeyr rounded her ears. And Tandeyr has been in bed by the time he came back.

 

“How is she?” Aric asked; he couldn’t help himself.

 

“She’s flushed with a mild fever. She’s not well  but the antibiotics are working.” Elara smiled at Aric’s worry. She knew he had something to do with Tandeyr deciding against the surgery.

 

Aric grunted.

 

#

 

“Jorgan!” Elara called from inside the galley.

 

“Yeah?” Aric had been walking by on his way from the workout room to the conference room.

 

“Could you, please, take this to Tandeyr?” Elara gestured towards a tray that held a cup of tea, a teapot, and a bowl of soup.

 

“And why can’t you do it?” He had never set foot inside Tandeyr’s room before.

 

“Because I have to check in with Garza about the lieutenant’s health.” Elara frowned at Aric. “I can’t miss it. It’s vitally important Garza gets updates about our commander’s health.”

 

Aric nodded and took the tray.

 

Knocking on the open door, he called, “Tan! Food!”

 

He heard a garbled groan and took that as an invitation to enter. He avoided looking at the bed, instead bypassing it to set the tray on the desk. Aric spent more time situating the tray on the desk than necessary; he was particularly nervous. Nervous he was in Tandeyr’s room after his realization, nervous about seeing she actually went through with the surgery, nervous about how he’d feel if she did, nervous about how he’d feel if she didn’t.

 

“I’m such an idiot.” Aric muttered as he finally looked towards the bed. He couldn’t see Tandeyr, which didn’t surprise him, she was tiny. What he did see was a lump in the middle of the bed with some blonde hair sticking out of the covers. That had to be her. “Hey, Tan.” He approached the bed.

 

She didn’t respond, the lump didn’t move.

 

“Tan?” Aric gently grabbed her shoulder, what he thought was her shoulder, he couldn’t tell due to all the covers.

 

This received a moan.

 

“Tan,” he shook the lump, “Elara prepared you some food and tea.”

 

“Don’t want it.” Tan sleepily slurred, turning away from Aric.

 

“Why not?” Aric asked. His mind harkening back to her being drunk on Coruscant.

 

“Too dizzy to sit up. Give me a stim.” Tan complained.

 

“If Elara gave you actual food then actual food is what you’ll eat.” Aric  reasoned.

 

“No.” There was a slight rustling of fabric as Tandeyr shook her head.

 

“Tan, you gotta eat.” Aric told his CO gently.

 

“Gonna vomit it up. Don’t wanna waste it.” Tandeyr said mulishly.

 

Aric couldn’t fault her reasoning. “Tan, how about we get some tea in you, then we’ll see if you throw that up. Sound good?”

 

Tandeyr’s face peeked from beneath the covers, she slowly pulled the blankets off her face.

 

“Just tea?” She eyed Aric suspiciously.

 

“Just tea.” He hoped it was just tea.

 

“K.” Tandeyr sighed. “Help me sit up.” She grumpily ordered.

 

“Yes, Sir.” Aric hid a smile as he helped Tandeyr sit against her headboard.

 

“Tea?” She sounded annoyed, as if the very idea of drinking tea was an inconvenience.

 

“Tea.” He confirmed, walking over to get the tea. “Here.”

 

Tandeyr accepted the tea cup, scrunching her face up as she took a sniff. “What kind of tea is it?”

 

Aric shrugged. “Not sure. Dorne ordered me to bring it to you. So, I did.”

 

Tandeyr nodded before taking a drink.

 

Aric watched her as she finished the entire cup. Tandeyr placed it delicately on the bedside table.

 

“Do you feel like you need to vomit?” Aric asked after she just stared at her hands.

 

Tandeyr shook her head. “No.”

 

“Soup time.” Announcing even as he walked to the desk to get the tray.

 

He sat the tray across her knees.

 

Tandeyr pulled a face but ate the soup.

 

“How’s it taste?” He asked.

 

“Like slim.” Tandeyr shrugged. “Ok, I’m done.” She placed the spoon down, pushing the tray away.

 

“Hmmmm.” He checked to see how much she ate, it was almost all. “Ok, leaving the teapot in here just in case you want more tea.”

 

He placed the teapot on the bedside table beside the teacup, and turning to pick up the tray he saw Tandeyr’s eyes on him.

 

“Thank you, Aric.” Tandeyr said solemnly.

 

“You’re welcome, Tan.” He picked up the tray. “Feel better.” He smiled a little.

 

Tandeyr blushed, looked away, and tucked some hair behind her still pointed ears. “I shall endeavor to try.”

 

Aric nodded, smirking that he made her blush, and carried the tray back into the galley. Walking past the med-bay, he heard Elara giving an update about Tandeyr’s health.

 

She hadn’t gotten the surgery. Tandeyr still had pointed ears. Aric’s grin grew; he had plans of how to make sure Tandeyr didn’t regret not getting the surgery. Plans that involved much more ear touching.

 

#

 

Tandeyr slowly lowered herself back in the covers, she was no longer dizzy and didn’t feel the urge to vomit, it was probably the tea. Pulling the covers over her head again she couldn’t help but blush deeper.

 

Aric has seen her ears. He’d seen they were still pointed and he had grinned.

 

Was he happy about Tandeyr not getting the surgery?

 


	8. Chapter 8

Tandeyr liked every planet she had ever been on. And she basically liked every person she ever interacted with. There were a few expectations, Gaff from Taris, the former members of Havoc, and Tanno Vik. Tandeyr decided she loathed Tanno Vik with a fiery passion as she shot yet another rogue droid.

 

“When I finally get my hands on Vik, I’m gonna set him on fire.” Tandeyr spat out, wiping grime off her visor. She decided she rather didn’t like Balmorra either, all the kriffing mud.

 

“Only if I don’t get to him first.” Aric replied darkly, checking to see if his weapon was clogged due to mud.

 

“I don’t think I’ll give him proper pain medication if he’s ever hurt.” Elara grumped.

 

Tandeyr and Aric looked at each other through their helmets, for Elara to break medical regulation meant that the medic did not like somebody. Both filed that away for further thought.

 

#

 

Tandeyr loved a hot shower and after being in Balmorra and recruiting Vik she felt she needed it. Not because of all the mud and dust and blood and slim and toxic waste Balmorra offered but because Tanno Vik was one of the most disgusting men she had ever run across. Joining the resistance, getting good men killed so the Weequay could sell Balmorra their own weapons back. Disgusting.

 

“You alright over there, boss?” Aric asked from two shower stalls down.

 

“Just trying to wash the gross off, Lieutenant.” Tandeyr flashed Aric a smile without looking him in the eye.

 

Lately, Aric had been taking his showers around the same time as Tandeyr. And while she didn’t have a problem with it - coed group showers while in her last year at the academy had gotten rid of any lingering self doubt or embarrassment over her very human like body - and he always stayed two sometimes three stalls away - the ship had a total of eight shower stalls, four lining one side each of the locker room- it was strange because Aric Jorgan was a talker. He always found some way to carry a conversation with a nervous Tandeyr. It made her giddy, it made her question his motives, it made her think he liked her just as much as she liked him.

 

“Yeah,” Aric scoffed, “Vik is disgusting.”

 

Tandeyr snorted a laugh and turned away. Nobody liked Vik except Vik. Not even Fourex liked the Weequay and Fourex liked everybody that wasn’t an Imperial.

 

“Indeed.” Tandeyr blushed and hoped the steam filled room hid her reddened cheeks when Aric grinned at her. His smiles did something to her. “Ok, I think I’m clean enough. For now.” She turned off the water, wrapped a towel around herself and left the stall, headed towards the changing rooms that were on the opposite side of the showers.

 

“Want me to make sure?” Aric asked. “Your hair got pretty slimed planetside, sir.”

 

He was alluding to the fact that Tandeyr had tripped and fallen into a Coilicoid nest just as they were leaving the base. She had gotten bug slime in her hair due to her lack of helmet, it even seeped into her armor.

 

His question caused Tandeyr to trip as she turned back to him. “Apologies, Lieutenant.” Tandeyr blushed twelve shades of red, she was sure of it. “If I had known how willing you’d be to help, I would’ve waited for you. Maybe next time, you could help me get clean.” She fiddled with the hem of the towel wrapped around her slender frame, ignoring how red her face was getting both from his question and her response. Way to be sleazy, Tan.

 

When Aric made no response, she inclined her head before finishing her walk to the changing  stall. Once safely ensconced inside, she placed her hands to her cheeks.

 

“Oh, that was literally the most embarrassing thing that has ever come out of my mouth.” Tandeyr was hilariously horrified at herself.

#

 

Aric banged his forehead against the shower stall. What was he thinking? Blatantly coming on to Tandeyr. What was wrong with him? She deserved better than some smarmy two-bit Cathar sleaze come-on.

 

“Why did the sight of her in a towel turn me into a sleaze bucket?” Aric ran a hand over his head.

 

He offered to groom her and Aric could no longer be sure Tandeyr didn’t know all the ways Cathar came on to each other by now. She was raised in a small Cathar community if Elara was to be believed - and he had no reason not to believe the medic. That meant that not only was Tandeyr aware that he was coming on to her but she responded in kind, offering to let him groom her in the future. Tandeyr letting Aric groom her was an image that appealed to him immensely.

 

Groaning he ducked his head under the water blasting from the shower head. He fumbled to turn the water colder. He needed to calm himself, rid himself of the image of Tandeyr in her towel.

 

Her slim shoulders, the way the towel cling to her slender frame, just a hint of her bust, her shapely legs, her creamy skin which Aric knew was soft as shimmersilk.

 

Groaning, Aric turned the water colder, his penis rock hard and insistent.

 

But she had responded. She flirted back just as obviously.

 

His dick twitched at that thought. Placing his hand and forehead against the shower stall, Aric turned the water warmer, his free hand wrapping around the base of his dick.

 

“She responded.” He whispered to himself.

 

He wondered what her hand would feel like wrapped around his shaft.

 

Biting his lip, he began pleasuring himself to Tandeyr’s image.

 

#

 

Tandeyr sat in the changing room, still in her towel. Aric had made an obvious pass at her and she’d be lying if it didn’t turn her on. Now she had an ache between her legs and her stomach felt hollow.

 

She couldn’t shake the image of a wet Aric, the water cascading down his body, drops clinging to his red fur, the muscle definition she glimpsed beneath the fur, the way his voice lowered as he asked if he could wash her hair.

 

Tandeyr knew that for a Cathar to ask to wash a fellow’s hair or fur was a blatant come on, a definite invite for sex. Grooming was important to Cathar and an offer to help another groom was akin to saying  ‘I like you, we should have sex to make sure we’re compatible to be possible life mates.’

 

And the idea of Aric being her life mate was appealing, very appealing.

 

The ache between her legs increased, biting her lip, Tandeyr trailed a hand down her body, sweeping the towel aside as she played with the curls at the apex of her thighs.

 

The sudden image of Aric between her legs, growling as his tongue licked her lower lips had Tandeyr panting even without touching herself.

 

Stuffing some of the towel into her mouth, she parted her folds, pleasuring herself to Aric’s image.


	9. Chapter 9

Hoth was oddly beautiful and Tauntauns were adorable if a bit stinky.

 

“Captain,” Aric sighed, he was freezing while waiting for Tandeyr to finish cooing over the Tauntauns, “the rest of the squad is inside the base, would you like to join them?” It was a polite way of saying he was cold and miserable and wanted to go inside so he could take a hot shower -while masturbating to thoughts of Tandeyr spread out before him. He had a routine to maintain.

 

“You’re welcome to go in, Lieutenant.” Tandeyr cooed at another Tauntaun.

 

“Tan,” Aric lowered his voice, took a step closer, “Dorne doesn’t want you out in the cold weather for too long. Not after Balmorra.”

 

Tandeyr frowned at her subordinate, he was correct though. Falling into a Colicoid nest and getting covered in Colicoid slime was not good. Tandeyr had a rash for three weeks now. The rash was affected by minute changes to her body temperature. But so far, being on Hoth was fine.

 

Tandeyr nodded, gave the Tauntaun one last pat, before walking briskly inside the base.

 

“So, we’re here to help a Sergeant Yuun.” Tandeyr said aloud.

 

“Correct, boss.” Aric nodded.

 

Tandeyr chewed her bottom lip, vainly trying not to blush. Since masturbating to thoughts of Aric, being alone with him was proving difficult. That didn’t stop her from masturbating to him basically every chance she got though.

 

“Does Dorne have our room assignments?” She asked as the elevator stopped at the bottom.

 

Aric nodded. “Yeah, we’re sharing a room since we’re the CO and XO.”

 

Tandeyr bit her bottom lip as a blush suffused her cheeks, thankful that the brisk Hoth wind had already reddened her cheeks. “And the rest of the crew?” She hoped Elara didn’t have to room with Vik.

 

“Vik and Fourex are put with the rest of the grunts, Dorne is placed with the other medics.” Aric shook his head. “It’s so the medics can exchange skills and techniques if they’re housed in the same block.”

 

“Makes sense.” Tandeyr stated.

 

Aric made a sound of agreement.

 

#

 

“So, thanks to Sergeant Yuun, we have this,” Tandeyr took a stylus and drew on the board in the commandeered conference room Havoc was using to plan their missions, she pointed at a map, “and it’ll help us figure out where to go. I have sent it to everybody’s nav cuff.”

 

She nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she waited for everybody to nod that they received the detailed map of Hoth’s surface.

 

“Any questions?” Tandeyr asked.

 

Aric and Elara shook their heads; Fourex never had questions unless it was about which weapon the droid should use for maximum Imperial casualties.

 

“Yeah, I got a question.” Vik lazily lifted his hand up.

 

“Yes?” Tandeyr didn’t want to hold out hope that Vik had something to offer to the meeting. So far the Weequay had turned out to be a mild extortionist -which she had reported- and a full time asshole.

 

“Your pointed ears help you hear better?” Vik popped a random snack into his mouth, chewing loudly.

 

Tandeyr narrowed her eyes at her newest recruit.

 

“That is an inappropriate question to ask a superior officer, Sergeant Vik.” Aric hissed at the Weequay. “Apologize.”

 

“Yeah? Calling her by her name ain’t inappropriate?” Vik shot back.

 

“Sergeant, both Jorgan and Dorne have earned the right to call me by my first name, you haven’t.” Tandeyr studied the Weequay. “And that question is not only impertinent, it’s rude. You’re on Tauntaun detail as punishment for asking non-mission appropriate questions. Any questions that pertain to the mission at hand?”

 

Vik mumbled below his breath but a firm glare from Tandeyr shut him up.

 

“No? Then dismissed.” Tandeyr waved her hand. “Be ready at five hundred hours and we’ll move out.”

 

She watched as Vik, Fourex, and Elara all left the room.

 

“Thank you, Aric.” Tandeyr spoke softly, reaching out to hold Aric’s hand for a second before letting go.

 

“You’re too soft on him.” Aric tried to gauge Tandeyr’s feelings.

 

“Comeuppance comes when it’s least expected.” Her face twisted into a maniacal smile.

 

Aric smirked in response. He was looking forward to Vik’s comeuppance.

 

#

 

Tandeyr sat on the bunk she had picked out in the officers’ quarters she and Aric would be sharing.

 

“There, that ought to keep you from itching too badly while you sleep, sir.” Elara patted Tandeyr’s arm where the needle punctured.

 

“Thanks, Elara.” Tandeyr smiled up at the older woman.

 

“Now, get a full night’s sleep and I shall see you in the morning.” Elara stood, packing up her medical supplies. “And make sure your hair is dry. I know it’s an old wives’ tale about having a wet head and getting a cold but your immune system is already compromised enough. I don’t want to take chances.”

 

Tandeyr giggled. “Yes, mum.”

 

Elara poked Tandeyr’s nose. “That’s enough lip out of you, young lady!”

 

The two women shared a laugh. Elara was twenty-seven, Tandeyr was twenty-five, both having spent the past year together on their birthdays.

 

“Good night, Dorne.” Tandeyr grabbed the hair brush Elara was pointedly looking at.

 

“Good night, sir.” Elara winked at Tandeyr as she left the room.

 

Sighing, Tandeyr lay back on the bunk, hands sneaking up to fondle her own ears. “Damn things keep causing issues.” Frowning, she felt a moment of regret that she never got the surgery. “Oh, well.”

 

Shrugging she started the arduous task of brushing her hair.

 

#

 

“Ow!”

 

Aric heard Tandeyr hiss as he opened the door. The sight that greeted him was of Tandeyr, a brush in one hand, a hunk of hair in another, as she tried desperately to tame her blonde locks.

 

“Need help with that?” Aric was glad he shaved his mane.

 

“Please!” Tandeyr turned big, pleading emerald greens eyes to him.

 

And Aric had to brush her hair.

 

Approaching the bed, he held out his hand for the brush. When Tandeyr placed the brush in his hand he smacked her leg with his knee.

 

“Scooch.” He indicated for her to make room for him on the bed.

 

Tandeyr scooted.

 

Aric sat behind her, his legs on either side of her, her back to his chest, he placed the brush in his lap, using both hands he gently pulled her hair back.

 

“The key is to brush the tips of the hair first.” Aric spoke in amusement.

 

“I know.” Tandeyr blushed, thankful Aric couldn’t see it. “I just wanted it to get done so I could sleep.”

 

“Hmmm.” Aric smiled despite himself, he began brushing her hair.

 

Tandeyr was twenty-five, a year older than when they first met, six years his junior but sometimes she seemed younger. Other times she seemed older. There was never a dull moment with her.

 

Placing the brush on the nightstand, Aric began running his fingers through her hair. Her hair was as soft as it looked. And her scent? Heavenly. Perfection in a cute little package.

 

“That feels wonderful.” Tandeyr sighed leaning against Aric’s chest, making a purring noise as his fingers massaged her scalp.

 

Aric paused.

 

Tandeyr mewled in displeasure. “Why’d you stop?” She turned her head to look at him.

 

Aric swallowed. “My fingers were cramping.” It was a complete lie.

 

“Oh.” Tandeyr blinked at him. “Ok.”

 

She sat up, no longer leaning against his chest as she reached for a hair tie. She stopped trying to put her hair in a bun when she felt Aric’s hands cover hers.

 

“I didn’t say I was done. I just needed a break.” His voice was deeper, huskier.

 

“Alright.” Tandeyr flushed, leaning against Aric’s chest again, humming as she felt his hands glide into her hair again.

 

Aric was lost in sensory overload. Tandeyr’s small frame against his chest, her scent in his nostrils, her hair in his hands. He freely admitted to himself that he was in love with her.

 

He needed to find out what her feelings towards him were. There was definite sexual interest, if the time in the refresher after Balmorra meant anything. And here, she was letting him groom her, which she was enjoying if the purring noises and happy sighs coming from her were any indication.

 

So, the sex question was answered. There was chemistry. But was she interested in dating him or just a fling?

 

Aric didn’t want a fling but he also wanted Tandeyr. He ached for her.

 

“Tandeyr,” he breathed against her ear, tilting her head to the side, sweeping her hair off to the side.

 

“Hmm?” Tandeyr’s eyelids fluttered but didn’t open.

 

Aric lipped her ear, nibbling the tip lightly, one hand still gliding through her hair, his other hand placed itself gently around Tandeyr’s upper arm. “I want you.” He rubbed his nose along her neck.

 

There. His cards on the table - minus the emotional ones. She had accepted his offer of grooming twice, the second time actually allowing him to.

 

“You can have me.” Tandeyr mumbled, absently patting his arm. “But after I wake up, k?”

 

The way she shifted against him told Aric that Tandeyr had fallen asleep.

 

Aric closed his eyes. Great, now he had a raging boner but she was asleep. Chuckling at himself, he arranged himself so he could look at Tandeyr’s sleeping face. She looked younger when she was asleep. It was probably because she didn’t have the constant worry lines around her eyes.

 

Sighing, Aric kissed her neck. “Sleep well, Tan.” He kissed the tip of her ear. He could wait until she was awake to tell her.

 

“Mmmhmm.” She turned, embracing Aric’s arm. “Warm.” The smile on her face melted Aric’s heart. “Comfy.” She nuzzled his shoulder.

 

And he gave up. Looks like he and Tandeyr were snuggling throughout the night.

 

Being mindful not to wake her, Aric laid on his side, spooning Tandeyr, his hard-on deflating as he listened to her breathing.

 

“Good night, Tandeyr.” Aric placed a soft kiss in her hair, grinning when he noticed the small smile playing on her sleeping face.

 

“G’night, svet*.” Tandeyr snuggled deeper into his embrace.

 

Aric froze. Did she just say the Catharese word for ‘love’?

 

Grinning wider, heart light, Aric buried his nose in her hair, pulled her closer.

 

#

 

Tandeyr knew something had changed the night before between her and Aric. She just didn’t know what. It had nothing to do with him brushing her hair the night before. It had nothing to do with being so relaxed and comfortable she fell asleep on him. It had nothing to do with waking up in his arms.

 

“Thanks, Jorgan.” Tandeyr smiled at him, accepting the cup of caf he held out to her.

 

“You’re welcome, saa*.” They shared a smile.

 

Something was different about the smiles they shared too.

 

“So we ready to go or what? I wanna get off this ice ball.” Vik complained, walking into the room.

 

Tandeyr winked at Aric before turning a critical eye to the Weequay.

 

“What do you mean, ‘go’? You’re on Tauntaun duty.” Tandeyr crossed her arms, studying Vik.

 

“You mean I gotta stay here?” Whatever Vik’s faults were, he wasn’t stupid.

 

“And shovel shit until we’re done with our mission.” Tandeyr smiled at the Weequay.

 

Vik groaned and started cursing in Huttese.

 

“I believe the stable master is waiting for you, Vik.” Tandeyr pointed in the general direction of the Tauntaun stable.

 

Still cursing, Vik left the room.

 

Tandeyr slide her gaze to Aric’s, both burst into laughter at the same time.

 

“Comeuppance indeed.” Aric chuckled, clutching his side.

 

Tandeyr just nodded, wiping a tear from her eye.

 

“Why was Vik cursing so heavily?” Elara asked as she entered the room, carrying her medical bag. “I just passed him in the hallway and he did not sound happy.”

 

“He’s on Tauntaun duty.” Tandeyr answered seriously, causing Aric and her to burst into another round of laughter.

 

Elara was confused for only a second before comprehension dawned and she too started laughing.

 

“Oh, Tan, you really know how to punish insubordination.” Elara covered her mouth as her giggles turned into chuckles.

 

That’s how Fourex found the remaining sentient members of Havoc, all three leaning against each other, laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Svet- Catherese for love
> 
> saa- Catharese for sweet


	10. Chapter 10

“I’m going to need you to get off the ice.” Tandeyr spoke softly through the comms.

 

“Sir?” Elara asked.

 

“The ice is cracking.” Tandeyr clarified. “I need you to get off the lake.”

 

Aric looked at his feet. “Fuck! Move, Dorne!”

 

He grabbed the medic’s arm, pulling her towards the edge of the lake with Fourex, Yuun, and Tandeyr following close behind.

 

Elara and Tandeyr weren’t going to make it, Fourex was too heavy and the droid crossing the ice was causing it to crack faster.

 

Tandeyr made a split-second decision, her agonized eyes meeting Aric’s panicked gaze through the visors of their helmets. She saw his gaze go wide just as comprehension dawned. He didn’t get a word out as Tandeyr used the last bit of stable ice to knock Elara onto solid ground before Tandeyr was swallowed by the lake.

 

Tandeyr had fallen into a frozen lake once before in her life. She was ten and ice skating back home one winter with her cousins. The ice began cracking, and then, as now, she pushed somebody onto solid ground before she fell through the ice.

 

Back then, the water wasn’t as cold, and the ice had stayed broken long enough for her to be pulled out by her uncle.

 

This time, the ice froze again almost instantly.

 

Tandeyr’s last conscious thought was regret. 


	11. Chapter 11

Everything hurt. Death wasn’t supposed to be painful. Freezing to death wasn’t supposed to be painful*. Where was that last feeling of warmth before she finally passed on?

 

#

 

Tandeyr wasn’t sure if she was awake or asleep, her limbs felt heavy, breathing hurt, the light hurt her eyes through her eyelids.

 

“Tan!?” A frantic voice spoke. The voice belonged to a man.

 

Who was that? Tandeyr felt like she should know the owner of the voice.

 

“I think she’s awake.” The voice said.

 

“I’m giving her a sedative. Just keep her still.” A second voice spoke, female.

 

Tandeyr felt a slight pressure on her arm, she couldn’t think. Everything hurt too much.

 

“It’ll be ok, Tan.” The male voice whispered next to her ear. “I’ll get you to safety.”

 

Tandeyr felt something warm press against her forehead, then blackness took her once more.

 

#

 

Aric was never so glad of the fact that he was a Cathar as he was at this moment. Buried under a pile of blankets, Tandeyr pressed between him and a random Talz.

 

He had never been as frightened as when he saw the ice close over Tandeyr’s head.

 

Elara entered the room, had a murmured talk with the Talz at Tandeyr’s back. Aric opened his eyes as he felt the Talz leave the bed.

 

“Your body heat will be sufficient for now. She’s stabilized.” Elara smiled worriedly at Aric. “We just need for her to wake up.”

 

Elara and Aric shared a look. There was a possibility that Tandeyr would never wake up; she was in the water for twenty minutes before a concentrated effort between Aric and Fourex could pull her out. Luckily, Havoc armor was made to float in situations of being in the water, so Tandeyr was floating just below the ice, and her helmet had kicked in the rebreather function, so she hadn’t drowned. But Tandeyr had been in subzero water for twenty minutes.

 

It had been three days of trying to revive Tandeyr using body heat, she had been either pressed between two Talz or a Talz and Aric at all times.

 

She still had yet to wake up.

 

She might not wake up. Tandeyr might never wake up.

 

Elara sighed, leaving the room, she didn’t want to see an unconscious Tandeyr. What’s more, she didn’t want to see the look of devastation on Aric’s face. The medic had sensed something was between Aric and Tandeyr since Tatooine. And when Tandeyr suddenly decided not to have the surgery, well, there was only one reason Elara could think of. That, and Seetwo was a gossip for a droid.

 

_Please wake up._ Elara thought, closing the door.

 

#

 

Aric closed his eyes again, breathing in the scent that was strictly Tandeyr. He could’ve told Elara that Tandeyr’s body was stabilized, her scent was getting back to normal.

 

He almost lost her. Aric almost lost Tandeyr and without telling her how he felt.

 

Trying to distract himself from his thoughts, his hands began rubbing Tandeyr’ back. The Talz was gone so her back might be cold. Aric had her front covered.

 

“Please,” He pressed a kiss to her forehead, “please wake up.”

 

His hands rubbed soothing circles on Tandeyr’s back, more for his benefit than hers. One hand slid into her hair, the other spanned across her lower back.

 

_I need you to wake up._ He felt his claws unsheath themselves as his hands tensed. He was not going to cry. He needed to be strong. He was XO. If Tandeyr didn’t make it, he would have to take command.

 

Aric was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t feel Tandeyr moving at first. It wasn’t until she let out a moan that his eyes snapped open.

 

“Tandeyr?” He couldn’t believe it. Maybe his worry has made him imagine things.

 

Tandeyr came awake slowly, she felt warm. Why did she feel warm? Her last memory was freezing, enveloped in water. And were those arms around her? She moved her hands, her hands were on somebody’s chest. She felt something soft, her eyes focused on what she was touching. Red fur.

 

“Aric?” She croaked. “Why am I naked? Why are you naked?” Tandeyr couldn’t remember having sex with Aric, she didn’t think they had copulated whatever their relationship was. “Am I dead?” Her being dead was the only excuse for her not remembering having sex with the guy she was probably in love with.

 

“No.” Aric chuckled weakly. “Although you did try pretty hard.”

 

Tandeyr grunted, tried to adjust herself, slowly wrapped her arms around Aric’s neck. “The lake.”

 

“The lake.” Aric let Tandeyr get comfortable, her arms around his neck, a leg thrown over his.

 

“How long?” Tandeyr’s mouth felt like she’d been sucking on cotton, her eyes were crusted shut, her throat felt like it was on fire, everything hurt, but the bed was warm and comfy, so was Aric.

 

“Three days.” Aric’s hand began petting Tandeyr’s hair. “We were worried you’d never wake up.”

 

Tandeyr grunted again, closing her eyes instead of trying to open them, she couldn’t get her arms to cooperate to rub them. Aric must’ve realized what her problem was because his tongue came out and gently licked her eyelids, getting rid of the gunk that crusted them closed, another session of grooming between the two.

 

Tandeyr opened her eyes slowly, met Aric’s gaze. There was so many emotions swimming in those depths, so many unspoken words, so many feelings. She didn’t know what to do, and a near-death experience was not the time to discuss such things, she did what any self respecting commander did. She wrapped her hands around the back of Aric’s skull, scratching as much as her fingers would allow, adjusting her leg to slide along his, adjusting her pelvis to line up with his, tucked her head under his chin.

 

“Mmmm, warm.” She nuzzled his neck. “Comfy.”

 

Aric held still until he heard Tandeyr’s breathing even out, for once she was sleeping peacefully and it wasn’t drug induced.

 

“Sleep well, Tandeyr.” He wrapped his arms tighter around her slender frame.

 

“Svet.” Tandeyr mumbled, her lips placing a feather light kiss to his collarbone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dying from hypothermia is "supposed" to be pleasant and you're also supposed to feel really hot as you're dying from it.
> 
> Also, the best thing for saving somebody from freezing is for body warmth to happen, skin on skin contact, and who better to warm a frozen person that a Cathar and a Talz. And if there's only one other person there to save a frozen person then you lay chest to chest because you need to keep the heart warm first and the heart is closer to the front of your body than the back of your body.
> 
> https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothermia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20352688
> 
> https://share.upmc.com/2016/01/hypothermia-symptoms-and-first-aid-treatment/
> 
> Svet- Catharese for love; http://starwars.myrpg.org/coruscant_translator.php


	12. Chapter 12

Tandeyr blinked the sleep away from her eyes, she couldn’t sleep here. She had to be awake just in case Elara woke up.

 

The assault on the Gauntlet had not gone as well as Tandeyr might have hoped, Yuun had burns, Fourex had exposed wiring, Vik had a broken thumb, Aric had broken ribs, Tandeyr herself had a broken wrist and sprained ankle from tackling Vik out of some blaster fire. But Elara, the medic, had it worse. Elara was shot in the gut, she would’ve bled out if Aric hadn’t done a field dressing and if Tandeyr hadn’t been a medic before switching to assault spec.

 

“Tan, she’s going to be fine.” Tandeyr felt Aric’s hands on her shoulders.

 

Tandeyr shook her head. “What if she’s not?”

 

Aric studied his CO, her voice was small, she chewed her lip, turning tear filled emerald green eyes to gaze up at him. “Tandeyr,” he paused, his hands beginning to massage her shoulders of their own accord, he tried to find the proper words, “you shouldn’t feel guilty. You did a great job of patching her up. I am the one at fault. I didn’t move fast enough and Dorne was hurt because of it.”

 

Tandeyr shook her head again. “No. I should’ve insisted she get more armored armor. I realize that as a medic her armor is supposed to be lighter for field maneuverability, but we weren’t going in the field, we were going on a ship. She needed sturdier armor, but she talked me out of it.” Tandeyr sniffled, wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “If she was wearing thicker armor she would’ve only had a bruise.”

 

Tandeyr hated herself for allowing Elara to talk her out of forcing the medic into getting thicker armor. Tandeyr knew that having thicker armor for a ship assault was better but Elara had somehow convinced Tandeyr that the medic’s usual armor was fine.

 

Aric’s thumbs rubbed circles on her neck. “She’ll be fine, Tan. Trust in your medical training.”

 

Sighing, Tandeyr leaned back against Aric, letting the warmth of his chest soak into her shoulders as he continued massaging her neck. “It’s been so long since I last patched somebody up. I changed to assault spec because I realized very quickly how horrible I was at being a medic.”

 

Aric hummed low in his throat, Tandeyr sounded sleepy. “How much sleep have you gotten since the Gauntlet?”

 

“I haven’t. I have to stay awake in case Elara wakes up or she needs something.” Tandeyr yawned.

 

Aric frowned, the Gauntlet was four days ago, Tandeyr hadn’t slept for ninety-six hours. “You need sleep, Tan, you can’t help her if you suffer a fugue state from lack of sleep.”

 

Tandeyr frowned. “True.”

 

Aric lifted her up by her armpits. “Come on, let’s have a nap, yeah?”

 

Tandeyr balked. “I have to stay here, so I can hear the monitors.”

 

Aric sighed. “Fine, then take a nap on the other bed, hmm?” He lifted Tandeyr’ chin up, forcing her to look at him. “That sound fine?”

 

Tandeyr nodded, yawning again. “Yep.”

 

“Good.” Aric picked Tandeyr up just as her knees gave out. He placed her gently on the other exam bed. “I’ll watch over Dorne while you’re asleep, alright?” He tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ears.

 

Tandeyr murmured a sentence that sounded like a combination of Basic and Catharese, nuzzling Aric’s hand on her cheek.

 

Aric smiled crookedly, took a step away and tried to locate the extra blankets, finding one, he covered Tandeyr with it.

 

Pulling out the exam stool, he sat, propping his elbows on the bed behind him, the bed Tandeyr lay on, and watched Elara’s vitals on the monitor the medic was hooked up to. A smile pulled at his lips when he felt Tandeyr wrap her arms around his middle, curving her body around his, seeking his warmth. Aric covered one of her hands with his, entwining their fingers over his stomach.


	13. Chapter 13

Aric glared at his caf, trying to think of a way to tell Tandeyr he had feelings for her. He wasn’t going to admit he loved her until he knew her feelings. He wasn’t even one hundred percent positive she liked him more than the physical.

 

“Jorgan, what’s with the serious face?” Elara asked, opening a cabinet to get her tea cup.

 

“Trying to figure out something.” As embarrassing as it was, he wasn’t about to tell Elara what he was trying to figure out.

 

Elara hummed and went about making her tea.

 

“Trying to figure out how to tell Tan that you’re in love with her?” Elara asked, sliding onto the bench across from Aric.

 

Aric started. “How?” How did the medic know?

 

“Since Hoth.” Elara blew on her tea to cool it down. “Everybody knows. We all saw how you reacted when she fell through the ice.”

 

Placing his head in his hands, Aric groaned. Was he that obvious?

 

“If it makes you feel better, Vik didn’t know until after the Gauntlet. He saw you two cuddling in the med-bay.” Elara smiled sympathetically.

 

That didn’t help. “Shit.”

 

“We’re all fine with it.” Elara’s hand reached across the table to place itself on his forearm.

 

“What?” Aric lowered his hands.

 

Elara shrugged. “Yuun says that there is a vortex around you two that is pushing you together. I think, I’m not really sure what he’s talking about most of the time. Vik says if it’ll keep you from being such a tightass then he’s all for you getting laid. And Fourex has already calculated the genetic possibilities of your children having both yours and Tan’s fighting prowess.” She chuckled at Aric’s eye roll. “And, I know that losing her wouldn’t stop you from doing your job.”

 

“How do you know that?” Aric asked, quietly.

 

“Because you were still level headed while digging her out of the ice and taking care of her afterwards.” Elara patted his arm. “If something more permanent happened to her, you’d be heartbroken, but you’d still do what needed to be done.”

 

Aric grunted. Something more permanent? If Tandeyr died.

 

“You have everybody’s support.” Elara waited for Aric to respond, when the Cathar didn’t, she stood. “If that bit of information helped.”

 

Aric didn’t say anything. He heard Elara leave the galley.

 

“Shit.” He took a sip of his caf, blanching when he discovered he’d let it go cold. “Yuck. How can Tan drink this?”

 

Tandeyr loved cold caf. Well, Aric wasn’t sure if Tandeyr actually loved cold caf or if she just forgot she made it then wound up drinking it cold.

 

Standing up, stretching, Aric decided he should bring Tandeyr a cup of caf, since he was going to reheat his. His CO was probably doing paperwork and needed a cup right about now.


	14. Chapter 14

Aric just admitted he liked her. Aric Jorgan liked Tandeyr Colm.

 

Without too much thought, Tandeyr grabbed Aric’s collar as a hand curled around the back of his neck, yanking him down, slamming her lips against his in a literal bruising kiss.

 

It was a full nanosecond of doubt before Aric responded. Growling low in his throat, arms wrapping around her slender frame, he deepened the kiss.

 

Nipping at his lips, Tandeyr’s tongue ran across the seam of his lips, asking for permission to enter. Opening his mouth, permission granted, she swept her tongue in his mouth. He growled again, this time her own answering growl sounded.

 

It was only the sound of Vik and Fourex yelling at each other that pulled Tandeyr and Aric apart.

 

“Well,” Aric couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his features, “I think I’ve said my piece.”

 

Tandeyr blushed despite the feeling of satisfaction that spread throughout her body like the smile that spread across her face.

 

With one last kiss pressed to the corner of his mouth, she released him, taking a step back, the look in both their eyes indicating they were long from done with their conversation.

 

Turning, sending one last look over her shoulder, she gasped as Aric’s hands latched onto her hips, his tongue tracing the shell of her ear as he pressed his hard member against her ass. “You kiss how most people punch.” His breath whispering across her ear before he lightly bit the tip.

 

Tandeyr groaned a little bit, her hips bucking against him.

 

“Soon.” Aric whispered, a hand trailing from her hip to the apex of her thighs. “Promise.”

 

His hand rubbed teasingly against her through her clothes before releasing her.

 

“Real soon.” His eyes passion glazed as Tandeyr looked at him.

 

Tandeyr could only mutely nod, biting her lip before leaving to go shower, the fight between Vik and Fourex stopped by Yuun.


	15. Chapter 15

Aric stood at the ship’s exit, checking off the Havoc members as they left for leave. As XO, it was his job if the CO was busy, and Tandeyr was busy. Busy being completely unconscious.

 

“She stay up late finishing paperwork again?” Elara and Aric shared commiserating faces.

 

“Yep.” Aric nodded at Yuun as the Gand garbled something Aric couldn’t make out. Yuun was probably talking to himself again.

 

Elara and Aric shared another look, this one amused.

 

“Where’s the boss?” Tanno asked as he passed by on his way to the exit.

 

“Sleeping off finishing your paperwork.” Aric frowned at the Weequay.

 

Tanno had the decency of looking ashamed for once. “Any special directions?”

 

Aric checked his datapad. “Don’t do anything that gets you arrested again. She won't be bailing you out again.”

 

Tanno barked a laugh and left, probably on his way to do something illegal. “Oh, she won’t have to bail me out again.”

 

Aric sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

“I feel like we should report him.” Elara said, frown marring her face.

 

“Tan has, many times, but as long as he’s a member of Havoc and doesn’t do too much damage or sell secrets to the Empire there’s nothing the Brass will do.” Aric hated it. He remembered catching Tan crying in frustration after revisiting that missive.

 

Elara’s frown deepened. “Well, have a good leave, Aric. Take care of our Tan.”

 

Aric inclined his head as Elara waved and left the ship.

 

#

 

Tandeyr woke up to the enticing aroma of caf.

 

“Mmm.” She smiled as she stretched, not fully awake yet. Caf was one of her most favorite scents. Wait. “Shit! Leave!”

 

Bolting upright in bed she yanked the covers off her head to see an amused Aric standing next to her bed holding two cups of caf.

 

“Don’t worry, Tan. I saw everybody off.” He sat on the bed. “Yuun was too busy mumbling about finding something. Vik was warned not to get arrested. And Elara is off to talk with her brother.” He handed her a cup of caf. “Salted caramel caf, just how you like it.

 

Tandeyr blushed as she accepted the cup. “I feel bad.” She mumbled into her cup.

 

“Don’t. It’s the job of the XO to help when the CO is indisposed.” He blew on his own steaming cup of caf. He used to take his caf black but since working and being around Tandeyr he learned he rather liked salted dark chocolate caf, not that he would ever admit that to his old squad.

 

Tandeyr only blushed brighter, tucking a strand of hair behind her own ear.

 

“Tan, really, it’s fine. We all understand why you slept in.” Aric reached out a hand to touch what he thought was her shoulder - most of her body was still under the covers, with only her head and one arm, the arm holding the cup, were free of the blankets. “I can’t imagine finishing two people’s paperwork while filing the paperwork and reports for an entire squad.”

 

Tandeyr finally nodded. “Did he at least seem remorseful?”

 

“For once.” Aric replied.

 

Tandeyr smiled slightly. “So, what do you want to do? You finished your paperwork two days ago.” Aric was always making her life easier by finishing his paperwork in record time, faster even that Elara and Tandeyr herself.

 

“Well, I thought we could watch a vid in bed.” Aric looked at the wall over her shoulder, he never liked somebody like he liked Tandeyr, and never somebody he worked with, he wasn’t sure what to do.

 

Tandeyr licked her lips. “I’d like that.”

 

Aric finally looked at her, she was Sith red but pleased. They shared a smile over their cups of caf. “I’ll be back in a moment. Getting popcorn.”

 

Tandeyr nodded, placing her cup on her nightstand, beginning to rearrange her bed so that Aric could have a place amongst all the pillows and blankets.

 

#

 

It turned out, Tandeyr and Aric had the same taste in movies, dumb Besh rated horror films. He sat on Tandeyr’ bed, back to the headboard, legs outstretched with her between his lap, her back pressed to his chest, his chin on her head, hands placed on her thighs, bowl of popcorn in her lap.

 

Tandeyr was engrossed in the vid, so engrossed her hand had paused halfway to her mouth from the popcorn bowl, which was cute, but Aric could smell the tinge of fear wafting off her skin. He didn’t want Tandeyr to be afraid, ever again, even at a movie.

 

Aric smirked, a mischievous idea taking root in his brain. He moved to her ear, lipping the tip, licking the shell, his hands moved to her arms, stroking up and down her arms.

 

Tandeyr shook her head, trying to dislodge Aric so she could focus entirely on the movie but then he moved to her neck, his tongue licking as he sucked on the skin where her shoulder met her neck.

 

“Aric!” She gasped, head tilted, allowing him better access. “We’re watching a vid.”

 

“I’m saving you from being too scared.” Aric huffed against her neck, his nose pushing the strap of her tank off her shoulder, allowing him unimpeded complete access to her delicate, lovely shoulder.

 

“I wasn’t,” Tandeyr swallowed, hand going to wrap around the back of his head, “I wasn’t scared.”

 

Aric made a sound of disbelief, continuing nipping at her shoulder, his hands tracing patterns on her arms as he stroked them.

 

Tandeyr moaned when he bit the tip of her ear slightly. “I might’ve been a little scared.” She gasped.

 

Aric chuckled, leaning away from her, blowing on her damp ear, Tandeyr shivered. “Move the bowl.”

 

Tandeyr hastily complied, gently placing the popcorn bowl on her nightstand. Aric turned her to where she was straddling him.

 

“Tan,” He didn’t know what to say. He wanted her, but he didn’t want to hurt her, and she was so small, so delicate.

 

“Aric,” Tandeyr began petting his neck, “I’ve never been with a Cathar before.”

 

Aric blinked at her. “What?” But she grew up in a Cathar community on Bothawui.

 

“No Cathar wanted me because I’m a halfbreed.” She blushed, turning to look away in shame. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea being with Aric? If her own townspeople didn’t want her then Aric couldn’t, and if he did, he’d be mocked and ostracized for being with her.

 

Aric grabbed her chin, forcing her to look in his eyes. “Tan, I couldn’t give a womprat’s ass about the fucktards that you grew up with. I want you.” He bucked his hips up, letting her feel exactly how much he wanted her. “And being with a Cathar is only different because our dicks are covered in fur, other than that, we’re the same.” Or so he’d been told by an ex.

 

Tandeyr’s eyes widened when she felt Aric’s erection pressing into her, even through their respective lounge pants, she could feel the size and shape of it.

 

“So, like a Bothan’s.” She muttered to herself, blushing at her admittance of a past sexual partner.

 

Aric arched a brow. “Yeah, like a Bothan’s.”

 

Smiling, she leaned in, kissing and sucking along his jaw, her hips beginning to grind against him, both gasped as she hit the perfect spot.

 

“Tan!” Aric groaned, yanking her lips into a kiss, a hand delving into her hair, another sliding into her pants to cup an ass cheek, matching her movements.

  
  



	16. Chapter 16

Everything was Aric, soft fur, musk, tender kisses growing increasingly needy, a hand on her ass, and one gripping her hair. Tandeyr mewled, hips flexing against him.

 

Breaking the kiss, Aric began kissing down her neck, his nips harsher than before, his teeth grazing her skin.

 

“Ah!” Tandeyr cried out as he bit down almost too hard. “Harder!” Pressing her skin against his mouth.

 

Aric growled in his throat, biting her harder. Crying out again, her hands spasmed around his skull, yanking him in for another kiss.

 

The kiss was frantic, wild, filled with so much want and need, worse than the armory when Aric had admitted his feelings.

 

Breaking the kiss, she pulled back, yanking her tank to over her head before diving back in, her kisses turning bruising, her hands bunching in his shirt, trying to rip it off.

 

Aric pulled back, locking eyes with her as he slowly pulling his shirt off. Tandeyr purred in appreciation, Aric was gorgeous. This is what her imagination had been missing while she masturbated.

 

They took a minute to study each other. Tandeyr’s pale skin was flushed, her chest heaving, her green eyes roaming hungrily over Aric’s chest and shoulders. Aric, himself was having trouble breathing, Tandeyr was more beautiful than his imagination gave her credit for. Her small breasts were perfect, nipples pink and begging to be sucked and licked.

 

Groaning, Aric pulled her against him, his mouth hungry on hers, his hands getting between them to tease her nipples. Their hips knocked urgently against each other.

 

Tandeyr’s head fell back as Aric began once again kissing and sucking down her neck.

 

“So beautiful.” He kept murmuring against her skin between open mouth kisses.

 

“Ngh!” She slid her hands to his shoulders, leaning back, offering her breasts up for his attention.

 

Aric obliged, willing. His head moved slowly, torturously down to one breast, his breath heating the flesh before his tongue darted out to lick a hard nipple.

 

Tandeyr didn’t know how much more she could take, Aric laving her nipple was possibly one of the best things that ever happened to her.

 

She didn’t realize she was begging until Aric slowly lowered her on her back.

 

“As my love wishes.” He whispered, gazing up at her, before kissing and licking down her torso to the waist of her pants.

 

Tandeyr bit her bottom lip and nodded, hands fisting in the sheets above her head.

 

Growling, Aric pulled her pants off in one fluid motion, his mouth eerily finding her bundle of nerves and sucking it.

 

Tandeyr arched her back, nonsensical words dropping from her lips. If Aric’s tongue on her nipple was wonderful, his tongue on her clit was magical.

 

“Aric!” She keened. “Please!”

 

Aric kissed his way back up her body, but instead of taking off his pants and entering her like she wanted and he had to want to, he lay beside her, his mouth on her neck, her shoulder, as a hand probed her nether lips, sliding in and out of her channel, thumbing her clit. Tandeyr saw stars.

 

Divesting himself of his pants, Aric loomed over her, kissing her face, her neck, her shoulders as he wrapped her legs around his waist.

 

“Tandeyr.” He whispered her name, entering her in one fluid motion.

 

Tandeyr groaned, beginning to move her hips, starting a rhythm. Aric moaned, beginning to move with her, meeting her thrust for thrust.

 

“Aric!” Tandeyr was so close. “Please!” She didn’t know what she was begging for, only that she needed something more.

 

Aric growled, his mouth descending to her neck, sucking and licking where her neck met her shoulder.

 

He could scent how close she was, she just needed something extra to throw her over the edge. He could feel his mouth salivating, the ache building in his teeth and his balls, needing him to figure out what Tandeyr needed, what he needed.

 

Suddenly, Aric bit her, hard enough for his teeth to puncture her skin.

 

Simultaneously, Tandeyr and Aric orgasmed.

 

Coming down from her high, she felt Aric tenderly licking his bite mark. No, his Mark. Aric had Marked her.

 

Cooing, glowing in happiness, Tandeyr began petting Aric’s head. She wasn’t sure he knew he had marked her, but she wasn’t about to ruin this euphoric, absolutely perfect moment. And, a Mark didn’t really mean anything until the offer of Lifemate was made.

 

Aric was purring, licking the blood away from her shoulder. He had bitten down harder than he meant to; she would probably sport a scar.

 

“I’m hungry.” Tandeyr sleepily murmured into his chest.

 

“You need rest after that.” Aric nuzzled her hair, breathing in her scent. “I’ll get us some curry when you wake up.”

 

“K.” Tandeyr sighed, nuzzling his chest, getting comfortable.


	17. Chapter 17

Frowning at the datapad in front of her, Tandeyr scratched her scalp with her stylus. Something wasn’t adding up about the mission to Belsavis.

 

“I brought you caf.” Aric said, placing the caf on the coaster positioned a safe distance away from the datapads and other paperwork, dropping a kiss to the top of her head before sitting in the chair beside her. “What’s got the worry lines up?” He reached out a hand and his thumb smoothed over the lines she developed when she scrunched up her nose.

 

Sighing, Tandeyr leaned into his hand, allowing Aric to pet and stroke her face and hair. He was an affectionate person, far more affectionate than she would’ve given him credit for. “The math isn’t right.” She pulled back slightly and pointed at the datapad.

 

Aric’s brow furrowed, keeping one hand in her hair, he reached for the datapad. Looking over it, Tandeyr was correct. The math was off.

 

“Whose report is this?” He asked, the hand in her hair moving to caresses the shell of her ear out of habit.

 

“Elara’s.” Tandeyr couldn’t help the frown on her face even if Aric’s actions were soothing.

 

Aric frown deepened. Now he understood why Tandeyr was so worried and confused. He had scented her confusion and worry as he walked past to make her caf - a habit he had long since developed since they both joined Havoc - and he decided he’d add marshmallows to her salted caramel caf.

 

“Awww, you added marshmallows.” Tandeyr blushed slightly and smiled sweetly at him, causing Aric to purr in satisfaction. “Is my worry really that noticeable?” Tandeyr hadn’t inherited any of the Cathar scenting ability.

 

Aric nodded. “Afraid so.” He kissed the tip of her nose, licking an eyebrow to make her giggle. “Have you figured out how her math is wrong?”

 

Tandeyr shook her head. “No, I was going to ask you to look it over. It’s not a simple typo.”

 

Aric chewed his bottom lip, hand moving from her ear to scratch her scalp, eliciting a purr out of her. “Drink your caf. A fresh pair of eyes ought to help out.”

 

Aric kissed the tip of her ear. He leaned back in his chair, him and Tandeyr propped their legs up on each other, they learned if they did it in a hatch pattern it was more stable. He read over the report, skipping over the numbers for now listening as Tandeyr hummed and played with his toes. He had since gotten used to her obsession with his feet, she kept claiming they were literally the cutest thing about him- he had no idea why, but he was glad she liked his feet.

 

“Did we have eyes on Dorne the entire time we were planetside?” Aric asked, jerking when he felt Tandeyr’s finger run up the bottom of his foot.

 

Tandeyr pursed her lips as she repeated the gesture with her finger. Were Aric’s feet ticklish? “No,” she said slowly noticing how Aric kept jerking his feet away from her hand without removing his feet from her lap, “there was about a forty-five-minute period where everything was hectic that I lost sight of her and Vik.”

 

Aric and Tandeyr looked at each other. “Were they together?”

 

She shook her head. “No, Vik had gotten himself locked in a prison cell trying to get away from the Esh-ka. Remember, Yuun had to find him.” Tandeyr smiled at the memory, seeing Vik in prison cell had made her so happy.

 

Aric snorted a laugh. “Yeah, that was one of the best things I have ever seen. I look back at the memory whenever I need a laugh.”

 

Tandeyr barked a laugh. “Me too.”

 

They shared a chuckle before sobering.

 

“But Elara never gave me a good answer when she walked back into camp.” Tandeyr chewed her bottom lip. “Just said she had gotten lost.”

 

“Huh. That’s unusual, Dorne is usually the one with the best sense of direction.” Although Yuun could sense where Havoc needed to be, the Gand never gave clear directions, it’s why he was always paired with Aric and Tandeyr and Elara was paired with Fourex and Vik.

 

The room was quiet as the two of them tried to think of why Elara would lie to them.

 

“Tan, she’s not a traitor.” Aric sat up, breaking the leg tangle, taking Tandeyr’s caf out of her hand and placing it on the table.

 

“I know.” And she did. “But I’m worried, what if somebody sees this? What if the asshole Kalor latches onto this?”

 

Kalor was somebody that rubbed both Tandeyr and Aric the wrong way. In the beginning Elara and Aric hadn’t really gotten on, a side-effect of Elara viewing Tandeyr as a little sister-bestfriend combination and Aric’s slight of Tandeyr’s heritage -Aric still remembered the dressing down Elara had given him, the memory of being called a racist asshat was still fresh and stung, but listening in on Elara and Tandeyr talking to Kalor had Aric agreeing with the women that Kalor was an absolute asshole.

 

“That’s not going to happen.” Aric and Elara had settled their differences when Tandeyr fell through the ice of Hoth.

 

A determined light shone in Tandeyr’s eyes. “Damn fucking right.”

 

Aric couldn’t help it, Tandeyr was incredibly sexy when she got that determined glint in her eyes, one of the main things that attracted Aric to her in the first place, he dropped the datapad on the table, gripped her face and kissed her hard. Tandeyr quickly responded, both growling as tongues became involved.

 

“Ok, that’s fucking gross.” Vik’s voice broke the kiss. “Like, I don’t care that you’re breaking rules of conduct or whatever but please, don’t do it in front of me. I may vomit.”

 

Tandeyr glared, picking up her caf cup and chunking it at Vik’s head.

 

“The fuck!” Vik said as the cup broke against his forehead, the caf spilling across his face.

 

“Oh, that didn’t even hurt!” Tandeyr said, rolling her eyes.

 

“It hurt my feelings.” Vik placed a hand over his heart.

 

Tandeyr arched an eyebrow.

 

“You don’t have any feelings, Vik.” Aric said.

 

Vik nodded. “True.” Entering the room, the Weequay made a big show of approaching the table and gently placing a datapad on it. “My paperwork. Filed on time.”

 

“Thank you.” Tandeyr inclined her head.

 

“Right, I’m gonna leave now. Please no making out until I am safely out of the room.” Vik groused.

 

“No promises.” Tandeyr said just to needle the Weequay, her and Aric making kissy noises at each other.

 

“Oh, fuck, you two are even more annoying now.” Vik cried, practically running out of the room.

 

Tandeyr giggled.

 

“How did you get Vik to behave?” Aric was never sure what Tandeyr did to make Vik become not a good soldier but a not rubbish one.

 

“I threatened to tell the woman* that raised him he was a criminal.” Tandeyr nodded at Aric’s incredulous face. “It’s true. Vik loves her and doesn’t want to disappoint her.”

 

Aric laughed, pulling her in for another kiss. “You are a sexy little extortionist.”

 

“Mmhmm.” Tandeyr agreed.

 

#

 

Elara twisted her hands nervously in her lap, looking across the table at Tandeyr and Aric.

 

“Dorne,” Tandeyr started, indicating this was a serious meeting, “do you know why we called you in?”

 

Elara nodded. “Yes, sir. My report.”

 

“Who did you save, Dorne?” Tandeyr asked, it had taken both Tandeyr and Aric two hours to figure out that’s why Elara’s paperwork was off, she had saved somebody the medic didn’t want to admit she saved.

 

Elara sighed, hanging her head in defeat. “A childhood friend.”

 

Tandeyr and Aric both tilted their heads to the side in the exact same way while they waited for an explanation, they didn’t used to do that, it was only as Tandeyr’s and Aric’s relationship evolved that they started getting the same mannerisms.

 

Sighing, Elara crossed her arms. “Talos Drelik, he’s three years older than me, but we were neighbors, our families were both in the military. But he joined the Imperial Reclamation Service and I was the only one that understood his reasoning. He and his Sith Lord were on Belsavis and he was injured, he was dying actually, I couldn’t let him die, sirs.”

 

Tandeyr and Aric didn’t say anything, they exchanged glances, having another wordless conversation -a habit they had had since before Elara had joined Havoc.

 

“We figured you helped an Imperial.” Aric said looking back at Elara.

 

“You’re not one to deny aid, we’ve seen it.” Tandeyr smiled at Elara.

 

“Well, unless it’s Vik.” Aric said as an aside.

 

“I don’t imagine anybody would want to help him, though.” Tandeyr replied. “But, the point stands, we need you to change your report, stating that you helped a dying prisoner, you failed.”

 

Elara looked at her friends’ faces. “Alright.”

 

Tandeyr gave Elara the datapad the medic had written her report on.

 

Elara read over her report, editing it while she listened to Aric and Tandeyr coo at each other in the background.

 

Smiling, Elara finished her report. “Fixed.”

 

Tandeyr and Aric both read over the fixed report. Now the math was correct, and there were loads of dead prisoners that Elara had tried to help, one more unknown dead prisoner wouldn’t mean much.

 

“Excellent.” Tandeyr flashed a smile. “Next time come to me in instances like this. I understand, Elara. Childhood friendships are important.”

 

Elara blushed and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In KOTFE you learn that Tanno Vik grew up as an orphan on Nar Shaddaa but I can't help but feel that he was raised by a nice older lady that he calls "granny". So that's my headcanon.


	18. Chapter 18

Tandeyr had never fully thought about what she’d do when she came face to face with General Arkos Rakton.

 

She wanted to shoot him in the face for killing her friend Ava Jaxo. She wanted to punch him in the face for cloaking himself and letting his guard fight. She wanted to arrest him, make him stand trial.

 

“What happens now?” Rakton hissed, spitting on Tandeyr’s boot. “A simple execution? Or will the last civilized man be paraded through the streets of Coruscant as a trophy for your ignorant masses?”

 

That did it.

 

“Now, you die.” Tandeyr shot Rakton right between the eyes.

 

The barrel of her blaster was still crackling with energy when Aric placed his hand on her arm, lowering the blaster.

 

“We got him.” Aric whispered. “It’s finally over.”

 

Tandeyr nodded dumbly.

 

“Hard to believe.” Aric said, his hand still on her arm.

 

Tandeyr nodded again.

 

“Major! Serious heat’s coming in!” Lieutenant Coria shouted, running into the room. “Scanners are completely off the-whoa!” He noticed Rakton’s body. “Was that him?”

 

“General Rakton has been neutralized.” Tandeyr stared Coria down, daring him to say anything about Tandeyr’s form of justice, Aric’s hand still on her arm a silent support.

 

Coria’s eyes darted from Tandeyr’s gaze to Aric’s hand on her arm to Aric’s gaze to the body back to Tandeyr. “This is going to change everything.” Swallowing, clearing his throat, Coria continued his report. “Somehow, the Imps have figured out that Rakton’s off comms. They’re sending in everything they’ve got this way.” He swallowed again. “It’s too much to handle, sir.” He was purposely not looking at the body. “With respect, I think we better bug out. Everyone has their evac points set-you just have to give the word, Major.”

 

“Don’t leave anything behind for the Empire except corpses.” Tandeyr gave the all clear for the retreat.

 

“Understood, sir. We’ll make it happen.” Coria saluted and left.

 

Tandeyr and Aric looked at each other before leaving as well, their mission complete.


	19. Chapter 19

Aric watched Tandeyr secretly at the ball that was thrown in Havoc’s honor. She wasn’t happy and hadn’t been since Corellia. She was currently dancing and laughing with a Bothan.

 

“May I break in?” He asked, tapping a random Bothan on the shoulder.

 

The Bothan was a part of the Navy and an Admiral.

 

“Of course.” The Bothan smiled at Aric strangely before handing Tandeyr over.

 

It wasn’t until their third time around the dance floor that Aric finally spoke.

 

“What’s wrong, Tan?” He twirled her as the dance demanded.

 

“Did I do the right thing?” She frowned at his shoulder.

 

Aric sighed and wished he could kiss her, but nobody outside of their squad knew they were together, well, nobody but probably every Cathar, Bothan, Weequay, and Sith Pureblood in the room. So, she was upset about killing Rakton.

 

“You did the right thing.” Aric rubbed her back, discreetly petting her bare skin.

 

She shook her head. “It wasn’t fair that I got to kill Rakton in revenge for Jaxo and I stopped you from killing Zane.”

 

“That was completely different.” Aric looked around, trying to find an exit he could dance them out of.

 

“How?” She met his gaze.

 

Aric tried to explain. On the surface it was the same, but he knew it wasn’t. Maybe? Didn’t he? He looked around again, finally finding a suitable door and the perfect moment for disappearing. The door he danced them out of led onto a deserted balcony.

 

“Tan,” Aric rubbed her shoulders. “Zane was reckless and a major asshole, he lied to the soldiers and got them killed for something they volunteered for, Zane was ruthless but the soldiers he stupidly sacrificed was so that he could find a secret prison and save more Republic soldiers.” The motion of his thumbs rubbing circles on her shoulders calmed him down. “Should he have informed the soldiers what the full risks were? Yes, but he wasn’t as bad as Rakton.”

 

Tandeyr tilted her head to the side, her cheek resting on the back of one of his hands. “How so?”

 

“Rakton killed her out of revenge because we wrecked his toy. He was like a child trying get back by breaking somebody else’s toy.” Aric shrugged; he didn’t know how else to explain it.

 

Tandeyr frowned, breaking out of Aric’s grasp to go lean against the balustrade, gazing out at the Coruscant night.

 

Sighing, Aric went to lean against the railing beside her.

 

Tandeyr was thinking, she always furrowed her brow and frowned while chewing her bottom lip when she was thinking.

 

“That makes sense.” She said eventually.

 

“Yep.” Aric knocked their shoulders together. “You gonna be happy and enjoy this awesome party the Republic has thrown for you?”

 

Tandeyr turned to look at him. “I want to go home.”

 

Aric’s breathing arrested at the heated look in her gaze. “Whose home?” He had a crappy apartment near the academy that he had used maybe three times since purchasing it three years ago.

 

“Yours will have to do. I don’t own an apartment.” She glanced over her shoulder.

 

“Of course, sir, as your XO it is my duty to offer you a place to live until you find a place of your own.” Aric cleared his throat.

 

“Then take me to your apartment, Jorgan, I find I am very tired. And my feet hurt.” Tandeyr stated haughtily.

 

“Yes, sir.” Aric nodded. “If you would follow me.”

 

#

 

Garza snorted into her drink.

 

“Who do they think they’re fooling?” The older woman asked Elara.

 

“General?” Elara asked, unsure of what the older woman was referring.

 

“Your two superior officers.” Garza directed Elara’s gaze to Tandeyr and Aric leaving the ball together. “Do they really think nobody but Havoc knows about their relationship?”

 

Elara sputtered.

 

“It’s fine, Dorne. I’m alright with it because they still do their job. Hoth proved that.” Garza shrugged.

 

“Yes, sir.” Elara stuttered.

 

“Just make sure all the proper paperwork is filed.” Garza arched a brow but there was a decidedly amused glint in her eyes.

 

“Yes, sir.” Elara nodded.


	20. Chapter 20

“Aric Jorgan, are you asking me to be your life-mate?” Tandeyr gasped, green eyes wide.

 

Aric froze. “I-,” he was panicking. What if she said no? But the look in her eyes, the absolute happiness swimming in those emerald-green depths. “I -yes -I.” He took a breath and glared at her. “Blast it, woman! I had this all planned out! But yes, life-mate, wife, however you want to put it, the position is yours.” He couldn’t believe she managed to derail his marriage proposal, but she had derailed everything else in his life. “If you want it.”

 

Tandeyr squealed, it was high pitched and made Aric wince, but he didn’t miss her when she launched herself at him.

 

“Of course, I’ll marry you!” Tandeyr said breathlessly as her arms wrapped around his neck, her legs wrapped around his waist.

 

“Good answer.” Aric’s gaze dropped to her lips.

 

The resulting kiss was fire; growling, Aric walked to press her against the wall of the armory, closing and locking the door.

 

“I love you.” Tandeyr panted, her hands moving to undo the buckle of his pants.

 

“I love you, too!” Aric moaned as Tandeyr’s hand found his aching cock.

 

 Tandeyr’s chuckles turned into panting groans as Aric kissed his way to her neck, his hands finding their way under her shirt, palming her breasts as she pushed her shorts to the side, lining his dick up to her entrance.

 

Groaning, they reveled in each other when he entered her.

 

Leaning back, Aric and Tandeyr locked eyes as he began to move, slowly withdrawing before entering again, his movements purposeful.

 

The ache was building, stronger than ever before, Tandeyr gasped, trying to find air but her breath kept getting arrested by the look in Aric’s eyes as he stared at her. Love, he really did love her.

 

“Ngh!” Tandeyr keened when Aric adjusted her legs, throwing her ankles over his shoulder, changing the angle. “Aric!”

 

“Let me hear you, Tan.” Aric bit her ear, his growls as he bottomed out increasing with each thrust.

 

Tandeyr cried out as Aric’s dick rubbed the best possible spot inside her. Her hands raked down his skull and across his shoulders, becoming more vocal the more Aric thrust into her.

 

“Please!” She whined, so close to coming.

 

“As you wish.” Aric growled, biting down on her neck.

 

Tandeyr’s cry of release and pleasure ripped from her throat as soon as his teeth sunk into her flesh.

 

Aric pumped into her a few more times before he too finished.

 

“I love you.” He licked his bit Mark, kissing her neck and shoulder.

 

“I love you too.” Tandeyr said, nuzzling his cheek.

 

#

 

Vik caught Elara crying outside the locked armory.

 

“What’s up, DK?” He asked, his at first derogative hint at her past that then morphed to one of begrudging respect.

 

“Tan and Aric are engaged.” She’d known that Aric was going to ask Tandeyr to be his life-mate for several days now as the Cathar had asked Elara how to go about it. And to keep the holo with Tandeyr’s family a secret when Aric had called for permission.

 

Elara still laughed at the face Tandeyr’s father made when he heard a fellow Cathar ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Tandeyr’s father had been so full of pride and happiness.

 

At the news, even grumpy bitter Vik smiled.

 

“Well, fuck me. That’s great news.” Vik respected Tandeyr and had since she blackmailed him into being a better soldier.

 

Elara hugged the Weequay she was so happy. “We have to plan something to congratulate them!”

 

Releasing the shocked and confused Weequay, the medic headed towards the engine room.

 

“Where you going?” Vik asked, still confused, nobody but his grandmother had ever hugged him.

 

“To talk to Yuun! He’s a great party planner!” Elara called back, clapping giddy.

 

Vik just rolled his eyes.

 


	21. Chapter 21

Tandeyr practically ran through the streets of Rishi, pulling Aric along by the hand. Havoc was on a secret mission and as such, they technically weren’t Havoc, so in her mind, they could be the annoying couple she always wanted them to be. Super into public displays of affection, him grumbling about all the shopping she was doing, her convincing him to buy her souvenirs by kissing him. And it was working.

 

Aric pulled her under an awning, getting her out of a light rain, wrapping her in his arms as he nuzzled her neck.

 

“You want to retire to a place like Rishi?” He asked, nipping along the shell of her ear.

 

“Kashyyyk is rather nice. We could live in a tree.” Tandeyr giggled.

 

Aric made a negating noise. “I don’t know if I want to feel that short every day of my life.”

 

Tandeyr turned in his arms. “But that’s how I feel every day.” Tandeyr stood on her tip-toes, pressing quick kisses along Aric’s jaw. “You always said you wished you knew what it felt like to be me. Be in my shoes.” Her kisses turned into nipping.

 

Aric slow blinked, a purr rumbling in his chest at his fiancée’s ministrations. “Stop that or we won’t make it back to the room.” His hands slid from her sides to cup her ass; his face angled so she could kiss him. “And, anyway,” he rubbed his nose along hers, “I meant your half-breed status, not your height.”

 

Tandeyr chuckled, nipping and kissing her way to his lips, bypassing them to kiss and nip her way to his ear. Groaning, Aric angled his head so she wouldn’t have to contort herself too much. “What if I don’t want to wait until we get back to the room?”

 

Her breath hot on his ear, her small hands bunching under his shirt, bouncing on her toes, getting ready to launch herself into his arms.

 

Aric groaned again, the hands on her ass spasming, sliding down to grip her thighs, bunching up the material of her skirt. Rishi was a horrible planet, he kept forgetting that they shouldn’t be open with their relationship, but they were on Rishi and Tandeyr kept doing her.

 

“I don’t think we should shock the good people of Raiders Cove with my furry ass.” Aric could feel his resolve wavering. If Tandeyr didn’t let up on torturing his neck and ear with her kisses he’d take her right here on the trinket table behind them.

 

“I know a perfect spot.” Tandeyr rubbed her chest against him, her nipples hard and her breasts free.

 

Aric bit his bottom lip, she wasn’t wearing a bra and her shirt was wet, he could feel it seeping into his own shirt. “You’re evil.” He hissed into her ear.

 

The only response was her chuckling before she pulled back and out of his arms, backing out of the booth and back into the rain. Winking at him, she turned and ran off.

 

Aric was both stunned by her audacity and turned on.

 

“Son, if you don’t go after her, I will.” The booth proprietor said dryly.

 

Aric turned to see an elderly male Bothan smiling pleasantly with a twinkle in his eyes. Of course, the Bothan could smell the pheromones Tandeyr was throwing off like wildfire.

 

“You would?” Aric asked.

 

“Oh yes, especially if I was fifty years younger.” The Bothan chuckled. “Better go after her.” He reached across the table and gave Aric a friendly but hard shove.

 

Aric needed no other prompting, ducking into the rain, he closed his eyes and took a whiff, picking up her trail, Aric began running after her. Her legs were much shorter than his but Tandeyr had a head start and she was fast.

 

Growling, excitement building, Aric followed his fiancée.

 

#

 

Tandeyr chewed her lower lip, standing nervously as she waited for her fiancé. Maybe she shouldn’t have run off? What if Aric couldn’t find her?

 

“Found you!” Aric growled, wrapping his arms around her, stealing her lips in a bruising kiss, as he backed her against a boulder.

 

She had been right, this small secluded alcove situated in a nice shallow pool and between several boulders with a vine ceiling was the perfect spot for a tryst.

 

“What are you going to do to me?” Tandeyr gasped, letting her head fall to the side so Aric could have full access to her neck.

 

“I’m going to make you scream.” Aric said, picking her up, wrapping her legs around his waist as he unbuckled his pants.

 

Tandeyr moaned when she felt his warm hands slide up her legs.

 

“No underwear and no bra.” Aric groaned, a finger finding her weeping center, teasing her bundle of nerves. “You hate me.”

 

She shook her head. “No, I love you and I want you to be in me at all times of the day, so I made it easier.” Flexing her hips, gyrating as best she could against his finger.

 

“I love you too.” Aric moaned; his cock finally free of his pants. “Scream for me.”

 

Tandeyr barely nodded when Aric slammed into her, prompting a yell of surprised pleasure at the intrusion.

 

Slowly, he withdrew fully before slamming into her again, eliciting another little yelp. “That’s it.” He kissed her face her neck, anything he could reach, his hands sliding under her shirt to pinch and tease her nipples.

 

“Ngh!” Tandeyr cried, mouth wide, head thrown back in rapture as Aric pounded into her, her hands pinching the tips of his ears, her yowls of pleasure getting louder the harder he pumped into her.

 

#

 

Theron, Lana, and Elara all looked awkwardly at each other. Where was Tandeyr and Aric? Vik and Fourex were guarding the ship; Fourex exceedingly conspicuous since it had the symbol for Havoc painted on almost every part of the its body. And Vik was there in order to be kept as far away from the criminal life that made up Rishi’s stock and trade. Yuun was doing what the Gand did best, which only Tandeyr and Lana seemed to fully understand.

 

“We did say ten, right?” Theron asked finally.

 

“Yes, Theron.” Lana shrugged. “I’m sure something came up that required their immediate attention.” Lana was in tune with Tandeyr strangely, it had never happened with a non-Force user before and the Sith knew exactly what Tandeyr was doing.

 

“She did say she wanted to go by the shops.” Elara said with a mild frown. Tandeyr was never late to a meeting, neither was Aric.

 

“Sorry, but we got rained on and didn’t feel like standing around in wet clothes.” Tandeyr was breathless and smiling, holding Aric’s hand tightly, not caring that the room’s occupants zeroed in on the action.

 

“It’s understandable.” Lana cast an appraising eye on Aric.

 

Aric stared defiantly back at the Sith and clutched Tandeyr’s hand tighter.

 

Lana smirked. She rather liked Aric Jorgan.

 

“Ok, so since we’re all present, let’s get on with the meeting.” Theron looked between Aric’s defiant stance, Tandeyr’s flushed and glowing face, and the pair’s clasped hands, a realization finally crystalizing in his brain. Theron crushed the minor heartbreak he felt.

 

Still glaring defiantly at Lana, Aric walked stiffly over to a chair, sitting on it and yanking Tandeyr into his lap, his chin taking up residence on her shoulder.

 

Tandeyr blushed Sith-red and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, sharing a look with Elara.

 

“You may, uh, proceed, Agent Shan.” Tandeyr stuttered, trying to arrange herself so she was more comfortable on Aric’s lap.

 

Theron blinked a few times, unsure of what to do. Jonas had warned him that Aric Jorgan and Tandeyr Colm were a thing, he just hadn’t been aware that when Jonas meant ‘thing’ the older man meant ‘couple.’

 

“Right, so, the Revanites.” Theron said, mentally shaking himself; job first, emotions later.

 


	22. Chapter 22

“Shhh!” Aric’s voice was muffled under the covers. “Don’t want all of Raiders Cove to hear you.” He licked the inside of her thigh, breath huffing over her wanting center.

 

Tandeyr mewled but stuffed a hand in her mouth.

 

“That’s it, saa.” He nibbled the inside of her thigh, inching closer to her bundle of nerves, his true target.

 

Tandeyr flexed her hips, impatient. “Svet!” She groaned, feeling his nose nuzzling her cunt.

 

“I love it when you call me that!” Aric rasped finally latching onto Tandeyr’s clit.

 

Arching off the bed, Tandeyr remembered to stuff her fist back into her mouth to stifle her screams. She had no idea why but being on Rishi with Aric was probably the most erotic thing to her. It probably had something to do with the fact that they didn’t have to hide their relationship.

 

“Svet!” She panted, petting his head. “Please!”

 

Aric chuckled, an audible pop as he released her clit to kiss and lick his way up her body. “Saa, tell me you’re ready for me.” A hand latching onto her hip, another angling her fac  e so he had free reign of her neck.

 

“I’m always ready for you.” She pressed his face to her neck, encouraging him to bite her.

 

Licking a swathe up her neck, sucking an ear lobe into his mouth as he entered her. “Gods, Tan!”

 

He kissed her, the kiss all tongues and fighting for dominance. He didn’t know what had gotten into Tandeyr since they’ve been on Rishi but he wasn’t about to complain. She had always been up to and willing to have sex but since coming to this planet, she had been wanting it every single day. Again, not that Aric was complaining. He was in peak sexual condition for a male Cathar and if his life-mate wanted to fuck four times a day he could and would, gladly, do so.

 

Their love making was full of quiet groans, soft creaks from the bed, gasps as either adjusted, switched angles to make it more pleasurable.

 

“Svet!” Tandeyr keened in a throaty voice, she was about to orgasm.

 

Aric picked up his pace, thrusting into her faster, his teeth latching onto her neck, biting down.

 

Tandeyr’s cry of release was swallow up by Aric’s neck. His yowl of completion muffled by the skin gripped between his teeth.

 

“I love you.” Tandeyr whispered, purring, petting Aric’s head.

 

“I love you too.” Aric licked her neck before kissing her lips, beginning his own purr, withdrawing his now limp dick from her inviting heat.

 

Moving to lay beside her, his purrs got stronger when she cuddled up next to him.

 

“I wish it could be like this forever.” She said, nuzzling his chest.

 

“Living on a tropical island, making love every day?” Aric studied one of her hands, held in his, so much smaller than his own. He had, admittedly never really liked the delicate type but something about Tandeyr, her personality, her smile, the way her eyes were so expressive, that’s what was beautiful to him.

 

“No, not being forced to hide our relationship.” Tandeyr sighed.

 

Aric hummed in agreement.

 

#

 

Everybody in the command center watched as Tandeyr seethed, pacing back and forth, muttering in a mixture of Basic, Catherese, and Bothese.

 

“I was unaware she could speak Bothese and Catharese.” Elara said absently.

 

“Yeah, it’s because her father is a Cathar. As such she got Cathar vocal cords instead of human so she can speak both languages.” Aric replied.

 

“Oh, I know. I’m just surprised she knew the languages not that she was able to speak them.” Elara clarified.

 

“Ah. Yes. Well, she grew up on Bothawui.” Aric was worried about his fiancée, she was usually never this angry but the mission from Garza on top of Lana letting Theron be kidnapped.

 

Elara nodded like that vague answer explained how Tandeyr knew Bothese. It probably did if Elara thought about it.

 

“Is Major Colm alright?” Lana asked, entering the room bearing lunch.

 

“A mission from a former commander.” Elara explained.

 

Lana nodded in understanding, the two women began laying out the food, content on watching Tandeyr pace out of the corner of their eyes.

 

Aric was not content to watch.

 

“Tan,” he approached her, hand gentle on her shoulder.

 

Tandeyr looked up at him, tears of frustration in her emerald-green eyes and threw herself into his arms.

 

“Shh, shh, it’s alright. I’m here.” Aric cooed at her, petting her, pressing her face to the bare part of his chest -Rishi was hot, steamy too, and Aric had to walk around with his shirt unbuttoned halfway in order to even survive. He now understood why Wookies walked around practically naked with only bandoliers and belts for weapons.

 

Tandeyr cried silently, taking massive whiffs of Aric’s scent.

 

Lana got Elara’s attention. “Are they always like this?” The Sith asked the medic.

 

Elara nodded.

 

“Hmmm.” Lana saw that as a complication if what she was thinking would happen did happen. Suddenly, the Sith felt a great wave of pity towards Captain Jorgan.

 

#

 

Aric cradled his fiancée in his arms, just letting the ocean waves rock her body against his. Eclipse Squad was taken care of, Theron was safe, both the Republic and the Empire knew about the Revanites, and soon, they would be moving to Yavin Four. It was the last night they’d be able to spend alone time together before the real fight would start.

 

Tandeyr sighed, watching her hands under the water instead of the sunset.

 

“Let’s get married.” Aric spoke suddenly.

 

“I already said yes to that question.” Tandeyr giggled. “And your last proposal was better.”

 

Aric rolled his eyes and arranged himself so he could look in her face. “No, I mean let’s get married here. Before we go to Yavin. I saw a Bothan priest in the market and Bothan traditional marriages are much like Cathar ones so it would still be considered legal in both the Republic and by the Elders.”

 

Tandeyr blinked in shock. “But I thought you wanted to get married on Ithor. Far away from the fighting.”

 

Aric shrugged. “What I want is to be bound to you in every possible way. The location doesn’t really matter.”

 

Squealing, Tandeyr turned around, tackling Aric to the beach. “Aric Jorgan, I would love to marry you!”

 

Giggling, she pressed eager kisses to his face and neck as the surf washed over their bodies.

 

“Unless you want to marry a corpse you will let me up, Tan.” Aric chuckled, sitting up.

 

Tandeyr couldn’t stop giggling, wrapping her arms around his neck she snuggled close. “Elara will be upset she missed it.”

 

Aric laughed. “No, she won’t.” He jerked his chin over his shoulder.

 

Following the motion, Tandeyr saw the entire crew of Havoc, even the protocol droid Seetwo, and what appeared to be a Bothan priest.

 

Her jaw fell open, she turned wide eyes to Aric.

 

“Surprise!” Aric chuckled again, placing a kiss to the tip of her nose. “Go with Elara to fill out some paperwork and get ready.” Standing he gently placed Tandeyr on the ground.

 

Tandeyr searched his face, love and happiness shining through watery eyes. “Aric?”

 

“I love you, Tandeyr, and I don’t want to wait for the end of fighting.” Aric whispered, kissing her forehead. “Now, go and get dressed, woman.” He playfully shoved her off, smacking her bottom in the process.

 

Tandeyr shrieked in mock outrage but complied, allowing Elara to pull her along the beach.

 


	23. Chapter 23

Aric couldn’t tear his eyes away from Tandeyr. She was literally the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen. Her black and pine-green dress, her bare shoulder reflecting the Rishi moon, her blonde hair glinting under the twinkle lights the Sith had somehow found, her laughter as Fourex threatened to shoot anybody that ruined the wedding although the ceremony was already over, the bronze industrial bar peeking out from her right ear. Aric reverently touched the almost identical bar in his own right ear. Any jewelry that they might’ve wanted to wear on their hands or wrists would’ve interfered with their armor, matching industrial piercings didn’t interfere with anything.

 

“Captain Jorgan,” Theron’s insistent voice pulled the Cathar’s focus from his new bride to the annoying SIS agent.

 

Were there any SIS agents that weren’t irksome? Aric knew that Theron Shan had held a minor crush on Tandeyr, for the agent’s sake, Aric hoped the crush was dead now. Aric would never share.

 

“Yes?” Aric glared at the man.

 

“Congratulations.” Theron crossed his arms and looked at the ground. “I’m happy for you and Major Colm.”

 

“It’s Major Jorgan now.” Tandeyr’s soft voice spoke, her hand sliding into Aric’s. “But thank you.”

 

She smiled at Theron; Theron smiled slightly back before his face became emotionless.

 

“Right, well, Major Jorgan, Captain Jorgan, see you on Yavin.” Theron inclined his head and walked away.

 

Tandeyr looked up at Aric. “You could be nicer to him, you know.”

 

Aric growled. “He has been sniffing after you this entire time.”

 

Tandeyr punched Aric in the arm. “I just married you, dumbass.” She giggled and rolled her eyes. “Anybody could sniff after me for all I care. I have you.”

 

Aric grunted as she punched him again. “No need for punching.”

 

Tandeyr arched an eyebrow. “You’re jealous of Theron, I’m trying to punch some sense into you.”

 

Aric frowned. “Kissing works better.”

 

Tandeyr stood on her tiptoes, pressing a quick hard kiss to Aric’s lips. “Better?”

 

Aric purred. “Better.”

 

Tandeyr rubbed their noses together. “Let’s make it much better.”

 

Aric purred again, hand cupping the back of her head, kissing her hard enough to cut both their lips on their teeth.

 

Tandeyr purred, pressing herself along Aric’s frame, opening her mouth so Aric could deepen the kiss.

 

#

 

Lana snorted and looked away.

 

“What?” Elara asked, she had long since gotten used to Tandeyr’s and Aric’s displays of affection and how they were tinged with violence.

 

“Theron is an idiot.” Lana answered, shrugging. “He obviously knows nothing of Cathar.”

 

“It’s amazing to me how the Imperials know more about the species in the Republic than the Republic does.” Elara shrugged.

 

Lana turned her golden eyes towards Elara, studying the woman. “It’s knowing your enemy. Knowing how to crush them.”

 

Elara repressed a shudder at being Lana’s full focus. “True.”

 

“Tandeyr has a strange magnetism, does she not?” Lana observed.

 

“She does, yes.” Elara wondered where the Sith was going with the topic.

 

“People trust her and follow her.” Lana tilted her head to the side.

 

“She does what she says and she’s kind.” Elara loved Tandeyr, seeing Tandeyr as the little sister Elara had always wanted but never got. And if it wasn’t for Tandeyr’s ears, Elara and Tandeyr could pull off being siblings, their coloring was so similar.

 

“Would you follow her to the end of the galaxy, no questions asked?” Lana focused her eerie golden eyes once again on Elara.

 

“What?” Elara didn’t know why, but the conversation had taken an unwanted turn, but she couldn’t pinpoint why exactly.

 

“If Major Jorgan came up to you and asked you to follow her to the end of Wild Space, told you that all life in the galaxy required it, that it was literally life or death, would you follow without question?” Lana tilted her head to the other side.

 

“Yes.” Elara didn’t have to think about it. She would. She would follow Tandeyr anywhere.

 

“What about the rest of Havoc?” Lana now glanced at the remaining members of Havoc. “Not Captain Jorgan, obviously, that man would kill himself if Tandeyr asked him to.”

 

Elara frowned. “Yuun would. Unsure about Vik.”

 

Lana nodded.

 

#

 

“Let’s get out of here, wife.” Aric whispered into Tandeyr’s ear. “Last chance to be alone, to have any semblance of a honeymoon before you need to save the galaxy again.”

 

Tandeyr turned heated emerald eyes to him. “Oh, husband, I thought you’d never ask.”

 

Purring, Aric nipped at her ear before dragging her off into the dark.


	24. Chapter 24

Tandeyr was angry. Specifically, angry at him. Aric sighed, he knew why, he just wished she wasn’t.

 

“What did you do to her?” Theron asked Aric.

 

Aric glared at the SIS agent. Since the wedding, Theron had backed off Tandeyr so Aric couldn’t find a reason to punch the other man.

 

“Alright then, sorry I asked.” Theron held up his hands in surrender.

 

Theron went back to doing whatever it was Theron was doing and Aric went back to thinking of ways to get his wife not angry at him.

 

#

 

Tandeyr knew she shouldn’t be angry at Aric, but she couldn’t help it.

 

“Major Jorgan.” Lana smiled at her fellow blonde. Elara was right, Tandeyr just made a person want to adopt her as the sister they never had.

 

“Lana.” Tandeyr’s smile was strained. She hated fighting with Aric. She hated it more than anything. It strained her already strained nerves; she felt as if she would burst.

 

“Not that it’s any of my business, but are you and Captain Jorgan alright?” Lana had been so sure of Tandeyr’s and Aric’s marital bliss on Rishi.

 

Tandeyr sighed. “We’re having an argument over something cultural.”

 

Lana nodded sagely. Tandeyr viewed herself as Cathar. Which made sense to Lana, Tandeyr Colm-Jorgan was half Cathar. So, whatever it was that was causing this rift between husband and wife, the Sith knew had to be something to do with Cathar customs.

 

“Will this interfere with the mission?” Lana had to be sure.

 

Tandeyr shook her head. “No. We spent the first part of our relationship basically in a constant argument, this is only different because we forgot what the beginnings of our relationship was.”

 

Lana nodded again, refraining from saying anything. “As you say, Major.”

 

#

 

Aric watched as his wife paced in their tent.

 

“Tan.” He called softly from their cot. “Come here.” He motioned with his hand.

 

Without thought, Tandeyr made her way to the bed, curling up in Aric’s lap.

 

“Want to talk about it?” Aric said into her hair, breathing in her scent.

 

“Why won’t you do it?” She rubbed her nose along his collar bone.

 

“I don’t want to hurt you, Tan.” He pulled back to look her in the eye. Rubbing a thumb across her bottom lip he sighed. “I’ve hurt you enough.”

 

“When?” She searched his face. “When did you hurt me?”

 

“Back on Coruscant, when I said you weren’t Cathar.” Aric swallowed thickly. He apologized, she accepted, they were in love and married but he still felt guilty.

 

Tandeyr touched her forehead against his. “But you then said I was.” Releasing her own sigh, she leaned back, hands delicately stroking Aric’s face. “Want to know why I forgave you?”

 

Aric nodded, leaning into her hand.

 

“Because you didn’t say I was half of either, you said I was both.” Tandeyr trilled at him, caressing his jaw. “Everybody keeps pointing out either half. My ears are pointed, must be the Cathar half.  I’m obviously very human looking. But you,” she touched his lips with the tip of her fingers, “you said I was both. I was the best of both.”

 

Aric began purring.

 

Gently, Tandeyr kissed his nose.

 

“We can try.” Aric said softly. “That’s all I can promise but the minute it seems like I’m hurting you, I’m stopping and there will be no further discussion. And we’re not doing it here. Understood?”

 

Tandeyr chuckled. “Understood, sir.”

 

Aric nipped at her fingers, sucking one into his mouth, his tongue running along the digit, Tandeyr’s gasp was all the encouragement he needed. Flipping them, Tandeyr on her back, Aric hovering over her, he began licking and nipping his way down her body.

 

“Aric!” Tandeyr moaned, her legs falling open as she felt Aric’s hot breath on her hip.

 

“That’s right, saa.” He sucked on her hip, tearing her shorts off. “Scream for me.” His mouth latched onto her clit.

 

#

 

Everybody in the command center looked at each other as a cry sounded through the night.

 

“Well, it looks like Captain and Major Jorgan have made up.” Elara blushed and refused to meet anybody’s gaze.

 

The rest of the tent’s occupants paused as they digested what the Havoc medic said, then when realization finally hit a lot more sported blushes.

 

Theron cleared his throat and continued working. “Do you, uhh, think the Major will require some tea in the morning?”

 

Elara’s blush deepened. “I’ve already sent a message to Seetwo. But thank you Agent Shan.”

 

Theron nodded and cleared his throat. “Yeah, no problem.”

 

Elara smiled tentatively at Theron before another louder cry sounded.

 

Both Elara and Theron coughed before hastily walking away from each other - in opposite directions.


	25. Chapter 25

Revan was defeated but the Sith Emperor was freed. Tandeyr would be lying if that thought didn’t add stress to her already stressed life. Aric was doing what he could to lessen it though. Constant touching. Aric was constantly touching her. Tandeyr honestly didn’t know how much she had needed being touched until she and Aric became an official couple.

 

“You’re thinking awfully hard.” Aric whispered against her neck, his arms encircling her waist, pulling her against him, as she stood gazing into the endless abyss that was space.

 

“I’m stressed and worried.” She said, sighing, leaning into him as he began massaging her hips.

 

Kissing the top of her head, he said, “Why don’t you go ahead to the bedroom? I’ll give you a nice back massage.”

 

She perked up. “Aric Jorgan willingly giving me a back massage?” Turning in his arms she stood on tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Let me just get some popcorn and a few drinks and we can watch a vid afterwards.”

 

Licking the tip of her nose, Aric let her go. “Go on then. A back massage and a vid. I’ll even be willing to watch one of your dumb romantic comedies.”

 

She winked at him. “You scoff but you love my romantic comedies.”

 

Flipping her hair over her shoulder she sauntered out of the cockpit, Aric watching the sway of her hips, trailing behind her so he could watch her descend the stairs leading into the main part of the ship. He didn’t realize his legs had taken him from the cockpit to the main room until Elara called out to him.

 

“Aric!”

 

Aric’s eyes tore reluctantly away from his wife’s perfect ass to Elara’s amused gaze. “Yes?”

 

“You were about to run into the holoterminal.” She pointed.

 

Aric looked down and he was about three inches away from making an ass of himself. “Thank you, Dorne.” He coughed.

 

Elara arched an eyebrow and didn’t laugh despite wanting to. “You’re welcome. Can’t have the XO self-injured from distraction.”

 

Aric narrowed his eyes in mock outrage. “What are you implying?”

 

Elara did chuckle. “You know perfectly well.” She flicked her gaze to the galley.

 

On instinct, Aric followed and saw Tandeyr, his perfect wife, standing at the fridge, bent over and studying the types of drinks that wasn’t water that the Havoc kitchen and diet allowed. He swallowed as his eyes trailed up her body. Her bare feet, one foot tapping on the floor, up her creamy equally bare legs to the standard issue grey shorts that stopped mid-thigh, up her torso, stopping at her bust, to finally rest on her face, scrunched up in thought, a hand holding open the door the other in her hair, lost in thought.

 

“She’s uh,” he swallowed again, “very distracting.”

 

Elara rolled her eyes. “I’ll take your word for it.” She watched as Aric greedily stared at his wife. Whoever would have thought when first meeting Aric Jorgan he was the type to be completely and totally besotted with his life-mate? “Aren’t you glad we have leave for the next month?” She joked.

 

Aric watched as Tandeyr picked out three carbonated drinks before closing the fridge and grabbing the bowl of popcorn. Exiting the galley, she caught his eye. Tandeyr’s embarrassed smile at realizing he had just been checking her out had her blushing five shades of red. Biting her bottom lip, Tandeyr smiled once more at him before turning and heading towards their bedroom.

 

Aric swallowed again. “Dorne,” he asked throat gone dry, “you have earplugs, correct?”

 

Elara looked at her friend in confusion. “Yes. Why?”

 

“Pass them out. And make sure Fourex is on one of his longest power cycles.” Aric swallowed a sudden influx of saliva. 

 

Elara’s confusion only increased. “Alright. Why?”

 

“Because I’m about to Mate my wife. And it could get loud.” He ran a hand over his head. “Very loud. We’re not to be disturbed for the foreseeable future.”

 

He didn’t wait for Elara’s agreement, he just walked into his bedroom.

 

Elara barely had time to think over the implications of what Aric said until she heard his and Tandeyr’s bedroom door snick closed before locking.

 

“Oh.” The medic blushed a deep shade of Sith red. “Oh my.” She touched her cheeks to feel how red they were. “Earplugs. Yes. Right.”

 

Quickly, Elara darted into the med-bay to grab three pairs of earplugs.

 

Earplugs.


	26. Chapter 26

Tandeyr keened out her release, hips still bucking against Aric.

 

“Saa,” Aric pushed her hair off her neck, lifting her against his chest, still pumping into her, “do you want a break?”

 

They’d been in their room for five days now. Mating. It was a marathon, one of the most strenuous things life-mates could do.

 

Tandeyr panted, shaking her head. “No.” Her hands yanked his lips to hers, turning her head so she could kiss him. “I just -,” her sentence was cut off as she orgasmed again.

 

Chuckling, Aric ran a hand down her torso, spanning her stomach. “Change of position then.” He kissed her neck before withdrawing, smirking at his wife’s whine of disappointment. Aric turned her, stealing her lips in a languid kiss, lowering her on her back. “Just relax. Let me do all the work.”

 

Tandeyr nodded, her hands on his shoulders as he entered her again. 

 

Crying out, face scrunching up, one of her legs on his shoulder.

 

“Tandeyr.” Aric purred, hands gentle on her skin, his lips on her ankle, nipping and licking her leg, sliding slowly in and out of her. It was time to be gentle, he’d been rough the last time and his mate was worn out, he could tell, despite her insistence that she was fine. “You’re so beautiful.”

 

And she was, her milky white skin, emerald green eyes glazed with passion, flushing cheeks, his bite Marks all over her neck and shoulders. The smile she reserved just for him.

 

“Aric!” Her breath hitched, she was winding up again, her body getting ready for another orgasm.

 

He moved the leg on his shoulder to wrap around his back, leaning down to kiss her gently on the lips.

 

“Ra’tikaya ri ka sunro.” He rasped, licking her lips, tasting her, the pheromones coming off her skin like a beacon to his own orgasm.

 

Tandeyr gasped, her tongue darted out to lick Aric’s chin. “Now!”

 

Growling, he kissed down her neck, a free hand pressing her face against his own neck.

 

“Yes!” Tandeyr lifted her hips, meeting his frantic thrusts, her own growl rumbling in her throat.

 

Orgasming at the same second, they bit into each other’s necks, teeth piercing skin, blood welling up and over, dripping into hungry mouths and damp bed sheets.

 

And Aric felt it, the tell-tale sign that they successfully Mated. His second set of saliva glands activated, pumping the special pheromones into Tandeyr’s blood stream. He could scent from the air that her second set activated as well, pumping her own special pheromones due to her Cathar half into his blood.

 

Purring, they lovingly laved each other’s necks.

 

Withdrawing, Aric rolled to his side, pulling Tandeyr close to him, nose buried in her hair.

 

“We’re officially mates now.” She cooed, hands cupping his cheeks.

 

“You will always smell like me, from now on.” Aric kissed her forehead.

 

“And you’ll smell like me.” She nipped at his chin. “I love you too. So much.”

 

Aric chirped at her, pulling her closer, kissing her.

 

#

 

Elara screeched when Tanno’s hand entered her line of vision. Looking up she saw a very annoyed Weequay trying to talk to her.

 

“WHAT?” Elara yelled.

 

Tanno said something she couldn’t hear but it looked like a curse word. Reaching over, he yanked out Elara’s earplugs. 

 

“I was saying,” Tanno snidely gestured with the earplugs, “that I think we can stop wearing the ear plugs now.”

 

“Why do you say that?” Elara looked at her datapad. Aric and Tandeyr had been Mating for five days now, surely it wasn’t finished. Although, and Elara had researched it, Cathar Mating could go on from anywhere for three days to three weeks depending on how long it took for the second saliva glands to react to the pheromones thrown off during Mating.

 

Tanno rolled his eyes, crossed his arms, and blushed. “Because, the air smells different now, don’t it? The pheromones or whatever the fuck they needed have been released into the air.”

 

“Oh.” The medic blinked at the Weequay. Tanno Vik would know, Weequays have the ability to smell pheromones just like Bothans, Cathar, Wookies, and Purebloods. 

 

“Yeah, because I fucking hate sleeping with these damn things in.” Tanno hurled the ear plugs into the nearest trash bin. “Fucking uncomfortable as shit.”

 

“Those were reusable.” Elara said to the Weequay’s retreating back.

 

Tanno’s response was to throw a rude hand gesture over his shoulder.

 

Sighing, Elara retrieved the earplugs from the trash. She didn’t mind sleeping with ear plugs, but then again, she loathed listening to Tanno snore and Yuun’s mask whir at night.

 

Hearing Tanno’s obnoxious whistling as she walked towards the galley. A muffled giggle behind Tandeyr’s closed door had Elara smiling. Her friends were Mated. Officially. 


	27. Chapter 27

“Aric.”

 

A whisper across his ear. “Hmm?” He stretched, arms constricting around the thing he was cuddled next to.

 

A heavy sigh. “Aric.”

 

Catching a whiff of her intoxicating scent, Aric purred, nuzzling Tandeyr’s hair. Tandeyr. His Mate.

 

“Aric, I really need you to wake up, svet.” Tandeyr poked his nose.

 

A growl rumbled in his throat, he pulled her closer, hands spasming on her back, clutching at her shirt.

 

“Aric, I have to pee.” Tandeyr spoke directly into his ear.

 

Groaning, he popped an eye open to see her amused and annoyed face pouting at him.

 

“And,” she tickled his nose with her hair, “since you won’t let me walk on my own, I basically need you to carry me to relieve myself.”

 

“Damn right I won’t let you walk.” Aric grumbled, sitting up. “You’re too weak right now, Tan. You gotta recover after our Mating.”

 

Tandeyr crossed her arms and huffed, the noise annoyed but her eyes hungry as they roamed over Aric’s mostly naked form. “I don’t need to recover.”

 

“You really do, though.” Aric bent down to lift her into his arms. Tandeyr really was ridiculously light. Placing a kiss to the end of her scrunched-up nose, he carried her into the refresher. 

 

She glared at him mulishly as she used the refresher. “When will I be well enough to walk on my own?” Lifting her arms up to be carried back to the bed after cleaning herself.

 

“I’ll have Elara check you out after breakfast.” Aric placed her gently in bed. “How’s that?” He snuggled up next to her.

 

Tandeyr sighed dramatically. “Fine.” 

 

Aric purred at her, placing a kiss on her temple, wrapping his Mate in his embrace once more.

 

“Svet,” Tandeyr’s voice took on a breathless quality.

 

Aric met her gaze, seeing the heated look.

 

“Could we, please?” She’d been trying to get him to have some form of physical interaction other than snuggling, carrying her back and forth from the refresher, and the occasional feeding.

 

Aric really wished he could give her what she wanted. “No, not until Elara says you’re recovered.” He licked her nose at her growl. “Tan, I told you I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. We were cutting it pretty close during the Mating.” His hand ran over her ribs and her hips, more pronounced than they were a week ago. “I had a lot more fat for the energy to eat through, you didn’t.”

 

During the Mating, it was rare for the couple to eat or drink anything. Too consumed in each other to worry about eating or drinking. Aric was just glad that they Mated after five days instead of it taking the full three weeks.

 

Sighing, Tandeyr wrapped her arms around his neck. “I know, svet. But I want you.”

 

“I know, saa.” Aric groaned when he felt her leg fall over his hip, lining his dick up to her entrance. “Trust me, I want you too.”

 

Tandeyr mewled low in her throat, hiking her leg higher on his back. “You can have me.”

 

Out of habit, his hands tangled in her hair, pulling her closer. “I know, but please, Tan, let’s get the all clear from Elara. Please?” His eyes pleading with her. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

 

Tandeyr kissed him sweetly, smiling at him. “Ok. Sorry.”

 

“It’s alright.” Aric smiled as he heard her begin to purr as he scratched her scalp. “I’m just as impatient. I’m only much better at hiding it.”

 

But Tandeyr was already back asleep.

 

Chuckling to himself, he kissed her nose, before snuggling next to her slight form. Tandeyr could complain all she wanted, but she was exhausted. The mating had been hard on her. Aric knew it was because she was so tiny. He greatly worried for her if she ever got pregnant. Tandeyr would never have an easy pregnancy. 

 

#

 

“Elara!” Tandeyr cried. “Tell Aric I can walk by myself at least!”

 

Elara shared and amused glance with Aric. 

 

“I would, but that would be lying, sir.” Elara smothered a laugh as Tandeyr dramatically flopped back on the pillows. “Your husband is correct, the Mating wore you out rather a lot, Tan. I think you can walk but only if somebody helps steady you. You cannot walk on your own. You can, however, stand on your own for short periods of time if you lean against something.”

 

The light came back to Tandeyr’s eyes. “I can stand by myself! That means showers!”

 

“Only if you lean against something.” Elara corrected.

 

“Dorne, why on earth would I lean against anything that isn’t my husband?” Tandeyr blinked up at the medic. “His chest is a solid wall and his arms are the best support of ever.” Her eyes slid half closed as she hummed to herself. “And his scent when his fur gets all hot and wet-.”

 

“Saa!” Aric sat beside his wife. “I’m sure Dorne doesn’t want to hear about that.”

 

Tandeyr blinked up at him -even sitting he was taller than her. “Oh, you’re right. Sorry, svet.” She nuzzled his collar bone, contrite and pouting.

 

Purring, Aric tilted Tandeyr’s face up for a kiss. “It’s alright, saa.”

 

Elara coughed; a blush suffusing her cheeks as two pairs of eyes both glazed in passion turned to stare at her. “As I was saying, Tan can stand and walk but not on her own and not for long periods of time.”

 

Aric nodded, hands rubbing Tandeyr’s back as Tandeyr nibbled on his collarbone and neck. “Thank you, Dorne.”

 

Elara nodded and quickly left the room. The pheromones in the room were so heavy even she could smell them. A moment of intense pity for Tanno panged in Elara’s breast as she closed the bedroom door behind her. 

 

“Oh, that poor, poor man.” Tanno must be in hell, Elara decided.

 

#

 

Aric never realized that Tandeyr’s eyes had specks of moss green in them, nor that her hair wasn’t so much blonde as slightly white with golden highlights. 

 

“You’re so beautiful.” He breathed, hand caressing her cheek. “Captivating.”

 

Tandeyr smiled shyly, no matter how many times he called her beautiful she still smiled shyly at him, fingers delicately touching his cheek. “Do you think we could take a shower? I’m feeling icky. I want a proper shower not just you feeling up my body with a wash rag.”

 

Rolling his eyes, Aric rolled out of bed. “Fine. Come on, I’ll help you walk to the showers.”

 

Tandeyr bit her lip and looked away. “We don’t have to walk that far.”

 

“What do you mean.”

 

She blushed, even the tips of her ears turned red. “My personal refresher turns into a shower. I only realized it the other day being so bored I read the ship’s operating manual.”

 

Aric blinked at her for a few seconds before his warm chuckles filled the room. “Well, that makes this less awkward.” He bent over her, dropping a quick kiss to her lips before scooping her up. “You’re gonna have to show me how it turns into a shower.”

 

Biting her lip, she nodded.

 

#

 

Tandeyr was in heaven. Aric was washing her hair. He’d never done that before. Although he had offered many, many times.

 

“You’re regulated to washing my hair from now on.” She sighed, leaning her forehead against his stomach.

 

“Am I?” Aric chuckled, scratching her scalp before tilting her head back so he could rinse her hair.

 

“Mmhmm.” Tandeyr began purring, her hands petting his thighs and stomach as his hands ran through her hair, making sure the shampoo was properly rinsed out.

 

Aric closed his eyes. Stars, but Tandeyr smelled heavenly, the weight of her hair in his hands, her small hands on his hips and stomach, the sound of her purring. Aric was in sensory overload. It was fantastic. He had always heard that after Mating, the life-mates’ need for each other increased but he hadn’t believed it.

 

“Tan,” Hands fisting in her hair, “stop that. I’m not hurting you.”

 

Tandeyr mewled in disappointment. “But, svet, I want to take care of you.” Her breath on his hip, her teeth scraping across as she nipped and licked and sucked her way to his crotch where his very hard member stood at attention, begging to be touched.

 

All the air left his lungs when he felt her mouth envelop his dick. “Tandeyr!” He groaned, head falling back against the wall.

 

The refresher for Tandeyr’s captain’s quarters, and his too if he thought about, really did turn into a very small shower.

 

“Please, svet, let me.” Tandeyr cooed, licking from his base to his tip before sucking his cock back in her hot and inviting mouth.

 

A needy growl escaped his throat. “Tandeyr, I don’t want to hurt you.” Panting, her tongue swirling circles around his tip as she sucked. His hips bucked a little before he could stop himself. He made to withdraw but Tandeyr’s hands gripping his hips stopped him. “Saa,” he stopped, the heated look in her eyes giving him pause. He hesitantly tasted the air. Tandeyr was excited. She wanted to give him a blowjob. “Are you sure?”

 

Her response was to purr, one of her hands going to stroke the part of his dick she couldn’t fit in his mouth, as she mimicked the movements of sex.

 

“Gods, saa.” He moaned, hands delving into her hair, barely guiding her as he bucked into her mouth.

 

It felt wonderful, not as good as actually being in her, but it was a fantastic second.

 

“Fuck, Tan.” Aric growled low in his throat, it felt so good.

 

Then she started trilling in her throat and Aric saw stars.

 

Gasping, Aric was forced to steady himself on the wall behind the toilet.

 

“Gods, Tan.” He was so close.

 

Tandeyr looked up at him, their eyes locked, and Aric couldn’t have looked away even under threat of death. Her eyes, her beautiful emerald eyes, glazed with passion and love, the way his dick disappeared in her mouth, the sound of her humming, trilling, and purring, the way her free hand pinched her own nipples. His life-mate, his wife was the sexiest thing in the entire galaxy.

 

His ears picked up a sound she was humming. It was the sounds a person made when speaking Catharese. Specifically, the sentence ‘I love you so much’.

 

“I love you too!” Aric panted, touching her face.

 

Tandeyr winked at him, trilling and purring harder, the phrase ‘I love you so much’ over and over before on the word ‘love’ she did something with her bottom teeth and the vein that ran along the bottom of his shaft had Aric yowling out his release.

 

The pitch of her purrs changed as she lovingly drank down his cum before licking him clean.

 

“Did you enjoy that?” She whispered, kissing his belly button.

 

“I love you.” Came Aric’s reply, sinking to the floor to kneel in front of her. “Gods, why does it feel so much better than before?”

 

Nuzzling his cheek, she bit the tip of his ear. “It’s because we’re Mated now. Everything feels better.” Her tongue licked a long path from his jaw to his shoulder. “Tastes better as well.”

 

“Really?” Their eyes locked again.

 

“Really.” She kissed the tip of his nose. “Ra’tikaya ri ka sunro.”

 

Aric stole her lips in an intense kiss, a hand traveling to tease the hair above the apex of her thighs. “Oh, now that is interesting.”

 

“Ngh!” Tandeyr bit into his shoulder as his fingers started probing her depths. “Isn’t it?” Gasping when his inquisitive fingers explored her entrance. “That’s a bit tender.”

 

He looked at her, his fingers retreating. “May I try-?” He licked his lips slowly.

 

“Yes.” She said, spreading her legs, leaning back against the toilet seat. “Completely yes!”

 

Aric laughed, kissing and licking his way down her torso. “Tell me if it hurts.”

 

“Promise!” Her hips flexed against his chin.

 

Kissing her hip one last time, Aric’s tongue delved between her folds, laving her bundle gently. Tandeyr’s keen of pleasure reached his ears. 

 

“Keep doing it like that and it won’t hurt.” She panted, hands scratching the back of his skull.

 

Aric did as his life-mate directed and soon Tandeyr was a mewling mess.

 

“Svet!” Her hips gyrating against his face.

 

Aric growled, trilling his tongue as he licked her clit and spelling out the phrase ‘I love you so much’ using the Catharese alphabet and she shattered, keening out her release after she covered Aric’s ears with her hands.

 

Gently, so gently, Aric lapped up her juices, kissing both her thighs before standing up.

 

“I like this shower.” He pulled her into his arms.

 

“Me too.” Tandeyr licked his neck. 

 

“Back to bed.” Aric held her face between his hands, she was sated and happy, but the exhaustion was back. “More sleep. You’re not quite recovered.”

 

She had the audacity to grin at him “Worth it.”

 

Shaking his head, Aric turned off the water and toweled off his wife before taking her back to bed. Tandeyr was asleep before he even left the refresher.


	28. Chapter 28

Gone. They were all gone. The entire planet.

 

“No!” Tandeyr whined, hands clutched over her heart as she sank to the floor of the space station. “No, no, no, no, no, no-.” Over and over again, rocking herself, forcing her brain to process the horror.

 

“Hey,” Aric knelt beside her, pushing her hair off her face, “hey Tan, I’m here.”

 

A sob ripping from her throat, Tandeyr threw herself at him, crying, sobbing into his neck, not caring who was watching.

 

And Aric didn’t care either. His wife, his life-mate was heartbroken, she needed comfort and he was going to give it to her.

 

Elara walked up, hand holding a sedative. Aric nodded. Tandeyr wasn’t calming down. The sedative was a great suggestion.

 

Elara nodded back, stepping forward. “I’m sorry, Tan, but you need some rest.”

 

Tandeyr didn’t seem to hear the medic, nor feel when the sedative pushed into her skin.

 

Aric sat rocking his wife, her sobs and cries getting weaker and weaker until the sedative finally kicked in.

 

Looking up, Aric saw how every gaze in the space station was on the three of them, Forex, Tanno, and Yuun only having done so much to block the view of their CO from crying hysterically.

 

Not caring, Aric gently lifted Tandeyr into his arms, standing, beginning to carry her back to the ship. “Elara,” he spoke softly, “tell Shan that’s we’re going to be on the ship if he wants to talk to us.”

 

Elara nodded.

 

#

 

Tandeyr woke with a sore throat.

 

“Here.” Aric shoved a cup of tea in her face.

 

Sitting up, Tandeyr accepted the cup of tea, hanging her head in shame. “I lost it.” Her throat was rough, scratchy.

 

“Elara says not to talk.” Aric warned. “You hurt your vocal cords.”

 

Tandeyr nodded, a shamed blush suffusing her face.

 

“Hey,” Aric stroked her cheek, forcing her to look at him, “you did nothing shameful. Watching an entire planet get devoured is not an everyday thing. You’d be considered wrong if you hadn’t broken into tears.”

 

Tandeyr shook her head, taking a sip of tea to wet her throat before she spoke. “I broke down completely, Aric. I lost my cool. A Major of the Republic’s most elite SpecForces squad isn’t supposed to do that.” She took another sip of tea. “Elara had to give me a sedative.”

 

“Tandeyr,” he paused, stroking her face, looking into her eyes. Sighing, Aric grabbed the cup of tea, placing it on the bedside table before crawling into bed with his wife, pulling her close, breathing in her scent. “Tandeyr, it’s fine, nobody judges you. Everybody has a breaking point, a point in a war, after a battle, where they just can’t take any more and they snap.” He nuzzled her hair. “You’ll be broken for a while but eventually you’ll get better.”

 

Tandeyr sniffed. “That’s so sad.”

 

“It is.” He agreed. “But, I promise, you’ll get better. And I’ll be right here for you every step of the way.”

 

Her response was to sniffle again, burrowing her head into his neck.

 

“Aric,” yawning, she whispered after a few minutes, “what was your breaking point?”

 

“We’ll talk about it when you’re awake.” Aric kissed her head.

 

He felt her nod. “K.”

 

Aric closed his eyes, pulling her closer. Tandeyr was still too weak and emotionally vulnerable from their Mating, she hadn’t needed to be on a battlefield. And she hadn’t needed to see the annihilation of Ziost. Theron calling in Havoc was because of the man’s fuck up.

 

Aric would never forgive Theron for this. 


	29. Chapter 29

“Aric, do you ever think about retiring?” Tandeyr asked quietly, her hand on his chest, absently plucking at his fur.

 

“Sometimes.” Aric took a massive whiff of her hair. “Why?”

 

She was silent, almost too silent, as the seconds ticked by turning into minutes. “I’m not sure I can do this anymore.”

 

Ziost broke her, broke something in her, and she wasn’t getting it back. It wasn’t getting scarred over either.

 

Aric pressed his lips to her head, purring softly. “If you retire, so do I.”

 

Her head lifted; her face scrunched up in confusion. “Why?”

 

“Because I can’t do this without you, Tandeyr Jorgan. You’re my reason for fighting so hard.”

 

“But I’d still be your reason even if I’m not beside you.” She looked at him, studying him. “I’d keep fighting if you were the one retiring.”

 

“Would you, though?” He didn’t believe that.

 

“No. I’d retire too. I don’t want to think about fighting without you by my side.” She despondently plucked at his fur again.

 

He looked at her, her blonde head, her hair falling over his chest, felt her warmth from her breath and her body as she lay on him. “What brought this on?”

 

“I want to start a family.” She looked at him again. “With you.”

 

Aric felt a warmth in his chest, felt it slowly build before bursting. “You want to have my kits?”

 

She shyly nodded. “Yeah.”

 

Growling in approval, he yanked her in for a kiss, flipping them so she was beneath him.

 

“This is our last mission. Then we retire together.” The heat in his eyes as he slowly removed her underwear had her panting with want.

 

“Agreed.” She whined when she couldn’t reach far enough to remove his boxers all the way. “This mission with Marr is our last mission.”

 

Growling in impatience, Aric ripped his own boxers off, shortly followed by her tank top, the shreds of fabric tossed to the side.

 

“Forever, saa.” Aric bit her neck as he entered her.

 

“Forever, svet!” Tandeyr cried, arching into him.


	30. Chapter 30

Marr’s ship was huge.

 

“Aric,” Tandeyr gazed nervously at her husband, “could you walk me to his ship, please?”

 

Aric looked at his wife. Her nervous face, still so earnest and unsure, even after all this time. Smiling, tucking a strand of escaped hair behind her ear, he replied. “Of course.” Anything for her.

 

Her smile was blinding. “Yay!” Came her quiet reply.

 

Grabbing her hand, Aric walked with her to the exit, not dropping her hand as he pulled her into the airlock.

 

“Aric?” She asked, trying once again to yank her hand out of his grip. 

 

His grip tightened. “This is our last mission, and these are Imperials. I don’t think they care if we hold hands.” He looked down at her. “And I need this to feel less nervous. You won’t have me as backup.”

 

Tandeyr blushed, biting her lower lip as she smiled up at him. “Good point.”

 

“I do have them occasionally.” He chuckled when she stuck her tongue out at him.

 

At the end of the airlock, the two were met with a row of both Imperial and Republic soldiers.

 

“I guess I have to go.” She looked regretfully up at him, her hand finally withdrawing.

 

Aric made a split-second decision that he would never regret. His hands cupped her cheeks, turning Tandeyr’s face to his as he kissed her. All his love, all his respect, all his hope went into that kiss.

 

“I’ll be here waiting.” Aric whispered across her lips before letting her go. “Go kick some ass.”

 

Tandeyr blinked dazedly up at her husband. He kissed her. In front of witnesses that weren’t fellow Havoc Squad members. “I love you.” She breathed, yanking his head in for another kiss. This kiss held all her passion, her love, her respect, her hope. 

 

Growling, Aric responded, wrapping her in his arms, kissing her to oblivion, neither caring there was an audience.

 

A throat clearing caused the kiss to end.

 

“Major Jorgan,” Captain Fora blushed slightly, her eyes looking at the top of the airlock instead of Tandeyr, “Darth Marr awaits you on the bridge.”

 

“Right.” Tandeyr reluctantly -very reluctantly- extracted herself from her husband’s arms. “I’ll head there now.” She smiled apologetically up at Aric. 

 

“I love you.” Aric said only loud enough for his wife to hear.

 

Tandeyr shot him a heated looked as she walked away.

 

As usual, Aric’s gaze fell to his wife’s hips, the way they swayed as she walked. He used to judge how far they’ve walked by the sway of her hips. It was a snicker off to his right that snapped Aric out of his trance.

 

Glaring at the line of Republic and Imperial soldiers, Aric turned and walked back to the Thunderclap.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did myself a sad :(

Tandeyr glared at Valkorion if the man in her head was Valkorion.

 

“Time is all you have. Use it to evolve.” Valkorion stated. He smiled slightly, meanly, before gesturing to a point in the distance. “Your Havoc Squad. They followed you beyond all reason.” He highlighted Fourex. “The mindless patriot.” Elara was next. “The self-righteous defector.” Then Vik. “The scheming manipulator.” Yuun. “The perpetual outsider.” Valkorion revealed Aric last. “And the bitter survivor.”

 

“Aric!” Tandeyr gasped. Aric had aged. This wasn’t the Aric she last saw, the one she kissed on Marr’s ship. The one she promised she’d come back to.

 

Valkorion’s smile twisted. “What becomes of soldiers without their leader? Warriors that lose their cause?”

 

“Love keeps me fighting when nothing else will.” The answer burst from her throat, wrought out against her will.

 

Valkorion laughed. “Love withers when it is neglected. When left alone too long, love will seek another.”

 

“No. Not Aric.” Aric was her life-mate. He would never find another. “We’ll be together again.”

 

“Each day they drift further out of reach.” Valkorion shrugged her words off. “Without a center to hold them -without us- the galaxy and all within spiral into chaos.”

 

Tandeyr stared defiantly. 

 

#

 

“Aric?” Tandeyr cradled his head. He was dead. “Aric?” Hot tears fell, staining her cheeks. 

 

“This is what happens.” Valkorion shrugged again. “This is what you can expect if you don’t get out of here.”

 

“Get out of my head!” Tandeyr screeched, clutching Aric to her chest. “This is a dream. He’s not dead! I’d know if he was dead!”

 

“Would you?” With that cryptic question, Valkorion disappeared, leaving only his menacing laughter in his wake as Tandeyr cried.

 

#

 

A searing pain started behind her eyes.

 

“Aric?” Tandeyr cried, falling to her hands and knees.

 

“No.” A familiar voice, full of regret, sounded. 

 

“Lana?” Tandeyr tried to focus on the blonde’s face, couldn’t. “Where’s Aric?”

 

“I’ll explain later, right now, we need to get you out of here.” Lana helped Tandeyr stand. “Can you walk?”

 

Tandeyr nodded. “Yes.”

 

“Good. Suit up.” Lana grabbed her lightsaber, igniting it as she watched Tandeyr dress.

 

#

 

Aric woke with a massive headache. Another hangover. He’d been drinking himself stupid every time he had a chance. But still, the nightmares about Tandeyr. Her voice crying out for him, her tears on his face as he lay dead in her arms. It was torture and he just wanted it to end. Drinking didn’t help but nothing did.

 

“Sir, another mission to take out an Imperial base.” Kanner passed him a datapad the moment he stumbled into the galley.

 

It was moments like this he missed the Thunderclap. What Havoc got in efficiency, they lost in soul. “Thanks.” He grunted. He didn’t give two shits about another fucking mission against Imperials. Imperials weren’t the problem.

 

Aric grabbed his cup of caf, a ration bar, the datapad, and headed towards the cockpit, the only real place he could get peace and quiet on the ship.

 

Having read over the report, Aric made the mistake of checking the rest of his email. Nothing. Not even a letter form Elara. To further his masochistic habit, Aric checked to see if the email he sent Tandeyr had been read.

 

It hadn’t.

 

The message was still marked unread.

 

He was not going to cry. Not again. Not when he woke up with a hangover and tears dried on his cheeks.

 


	32. Chapter 32

“How long was I out?” Panic settled in as Tandeyr waited for Lana’s reply. “Don’t say another five years!”

 

Lana chuckled. “No, only two days.”

 

Tandeyr felt lightheaded at the amount of relief she felt. Lightheaded and nauseated. Covering her mouth with her hand, she closed her eyes, stemming off her urge to vomit.

 

“Tan,” Lana shoved Koth out of the room, “I have news.”

 

Tandeyr’s panic came back, stronger than before. “What?” _Please don’t let it be Aric. Please don’t let him be dead!_

 

“Valkorion saved you somehow when Arcann stabbed you on Asylum.” Lana looked at her feet, reticent.

 

“What aren’t you telling me, Lana?” Tandeyr needed to know.

 

“The fetuses are safe.” The Sith finished in a rush.

 

“What?” Tandeyr’s hands bunched in her shirt over her abdomen. 

 

“Tan, you’re pregnant. You were probably pregnant when you went into carbonation. I’d say about only two weeks pregnant.” Lana’s hands on Tandeyr’s shoulder stopped the former major from falling off the exam table. “But the fetuses are safe.”

 

“Fetuses?” Tandeyr searched Lana’s face. “What? What are you talking about?”

 

“You’re carrying quadruplets, Tan.” Lana gazed at her fellow blonde in pity. “You’re about two months pregnant now.”

 

Gagging, hand smacking over her mouth, Tandeyr shoved Lana away as the soldier fled towards the refresher, barely reaching the toilet in time.

 

She was pregnant and Aric wasn’t with her and she was possessed by a galaxy devouring monster and Aric wasn’t here. Aric wasn’t here.

 

Sobbing, Tandeyr vomited even when her stomach was spent and there was nothing to vomit.

 


	33. Chapter 33

Three months pregnant. Three months pregnant and her armor was having to be redesigned. Doctor Lokin had the brilliant idea to model her armor after both Cipher and Mandalorian armor. Flexible blaster proof fabric armor. She had to have armor that would stretch with her increasing size. That would grow with her. And Tandeyr was forced to agree.

 

Anything to keep her kits safe. 

 

Although, the fear that Valkorion would hurt them, possess one of them. Kill the other three. Slowly drain Tandeyr’s life-force from the inside. 

 

It didn’t matter how many times Lana and Senya said Valkorion wasn’t going to do that.

 

It didn’t matter. 

 

Tandeyr was pregnant and afraid and alone.

 

“I want Aric.” Sniffing she poked her stomach.

 

She had to go to a meeting with Theron.

 

#

 

“Havoc?” Tandeyr felt hope bloom in her chest. 

 

“Yeah, your old unit.” Theron saw the hope in her eyes, and he didn’t want to crush it. “I can’t get confirmation on who the CO is.”

 

Tandeyr’s hope crushed itself. “Oh.”

 

“Think you could convince your old unit?” Theron asked.

 

Tandeyr nodded, her spine straightening, determination glossing over the sadness. “Yes.”

 

#

 

Aric hated detoxing. It was horrible. It was painful too. But he couldn’t be an alcoholic when on Zakuul. He needed all his wits.

 

Especially if he was to meet this Outlander.

 

“Sir,” Kanner stuck her head into the crews’ quarters, “ETA three days.”

 

Aric grunted, “Understood.”

 

Kanner left.

 

Body wracked with shivers; Aric stuffed one of Tandeyr’s old shirts in his mouth. It had long since lost her scent, but he needed to keep something of hers with him. At all moments. He took to wearing one of her old green scarves while out in the field as well. 

 

He hoped whoever this Outlander was, they were worth this pain. 

 

Another bout of shivers traveled over his body.

 

And, whoever the Outlander was, that they understood Aric’s need for revenge over Tandeyr.


	34. Chapter 34

“Tandeyr?” Aric couldn’t believe it.

 

His wife. Right there. He could see her in his scope. And she was just as beautiful as she was the day she disappeared.

 

“Aric?” Tandeyr sounded close to tears.

 

It was her.

 

Leaving cover, Aric ran to her, wrapping her in his arms. Breathing her scent. It was her. This wasn’t a dream. Wasn’t some illusion. 

 

“Saa.” He touched her face, her hair, her neck, any part of her he could reach.

 

“Svet.” Her laugh watery, tears in her eyes.

 

Chirping, Aric pulled her in for another hug.

 

Theron cleared his throat.

 

“Later.” Aric whispered in her ear.

 

“Alright.” Tandeyr let him go but her eyes never left his face.

 

#

 

“You’re with me.” Aric couldn't believe his wife was back. Here, beside him. 

 

“I don’t know, Jorgan. It’s been a while since I took your orders.” She blushed in the way she used to when their relationship was so new. “I might be rusty.”

 

“You’ll remember.” Aric’s voice lowered, just for her, falling into a timbre he hadn’t used for five years.

 

The spark of heat in her eyes had him smiling. 

 

It was still there. They were still there.

 

Lighthearted, Aric and Tandeyr headed out. Just like old times.

 

Everything was perfect.

 

#

 

They were surrounded. 

 

“Any last words?” Tandeyr shouldn’t be, but she was happy. Ecstatic. She got to die next to Aric. The only thing she ever truly wanted.

 

Being a soldier made for morbid dreams.

 

“Can that shit!” Aric growled. “And I love you!” 

 

The look in his eye had Tandeyr’s heart almost explode in happiness.

 

Eyes locked, they moved towards each other. They never spoke it, but it was unsaid that they’d rather die in each other’s arms on the battlefield than alone.

 

A grenade cleared the Skytroopers blocking Havoc from reaching the rest of the reinforcements.

 

#

“Aric,” Tandeyr tucked a strand of hair nervously behind her ear, “may we talk in private?”

 

The fighting was over. They won. Neither she nor Aric were dead.

 

Aric studied her, noting her sudden nerves. “Back at camp, yes.”

 

Tandeyr nodded, chewing her lip. “Thank you.” She touched his hand before slipping away to talk to Theron and Lana.

 

Aric watched her go. What was wrong?

 

#

 

“You wanted to talk?” Aric was nervous. What was wrong?

 

“Aric,” Tandeyr stopped, taking a furtive look around, “is there somewhere more private?”

 

Aric nodded, heart in his throat as he led her to his private tent.

 

“Don’t be mad.” The conversation was not starting off well.

 

Aric felt his stomach drop. “What’s wrong?” Did she cheat on him? Is she in love with somebody else? Was she leaving him?

 

“I’m pregnant.”

 

“What?” He was not expecting that.

 

She laughed hysterically. “I’m three months pregnant.”

 

Dumbfounded, he collapsed onto his cot. “Whose, the uh,” this was hard, “who is the father?”

 

Tandeyr blinked at him. “You are.”

 

“That’s not possible.” He didn’t think she was lying but it wasn’t possible.

 

“Svet,” She knelt before him, hands on his cheeks, wiping his tears away, “I was about two weeks pregnant when I was frozen. That’s the only reason the kits survived.”

 

He searched her face, leaning into her hands. Her hands, still the same hands from five years ago.

 

“I love you.” Taking his hand, she pressed it to her stomach. “Please, believe me.”

 

He stared at her. Searching her face. Taking a massive whiff. She scented differently. There was the addition of his scent to Tandeyr now. 

 

“You’re pregnant.” He said it wondrously.

 

She nodded.

 

“I’m going to be a father.”

 

She nodded again, tears gathering in her eyes. “Yeah.”

 

A sob breaking from his throat, he yanked her to him, the screech of their armor loud in the still tent.


	35. Chapter 35

Tandeyr grinned at the tent roof, Aric’s purrs vibrating her entire body. He accepted that he was the father quickly, only a sniff of her skin and he was happy. Now his face was pressed to her abdomen, purring, as she pet his head.

 

“You mentioned you were frozen, but where were you?” Aric asked, turning so he was facing her, his cheek still pressed to her bare abdomen.

 

“Arcann kept me as a trophy.” She swallowed, she wasn’t going to cry, not with her and Aric lying naked on his cot.

 

“I was the only one losing sleep.” His fingers caressed Tandeyr’s stomach. If he had paid attention, he’d have realized that her stomach was slightly bigger than when she was lost; that her scent was spicier. So, while he’d been surprised that Tandeyr was pregnant, he accepted it because deep inside, he already knew.

 

“I had nightmares.” She whispered, looking at him, touching his cheeks and lips tenderly. “I saw you die. I saw everyone die. But Valkorion liked torturing me with you dying the most.”

 

Aric frowned, sitting up, looking down at her. “Valkorion?”

 

“Vitiate.”

 

“You didn’t kill him?”

 

“No, I killed him. Arcann and I both killed him. But Valkorion is in my head somehow.” She sat up, arms encircling her mate’s neck. “I’m so frightened all the time. I don’t know what to do. I have a ghost in my head. What if he hurts the kits? What if he slowly kills them like he did to those people on Ziost? What if he possesses one of them? What if he uses my physical weakness of carrying the fetuses as a way to take over my mind? To use me as a puppet to kill everything?”

 

Cooing, chirping at her, Aric nuzzled the top of her head, bundled her into his lap. “We won’t let him. He’s ruined so much of our lives, I won’t let him hurt you.” He tilted her face up, placing a gentle kiss to her lips. “I promise, saa, I won’t let him.”

 

It was probably terrible, but Aric didn’t care if the fetuses died. He and Tandeyr could have more kits when the war was over. It was possible to regrow wombs or get a cybernetic one. Create an egg from the stem cells in her spine. He and Tandeyr could have more kits. But she was alive, and she had a very real fear of dying. Aric wasn’t about to let her die.

 

Sniffing, she nodded. “I missed you. I missed you every day for the last five years. And I’m so glad you’re alive.”

 

“I missed you too.” Kissing her, slowly lying her on her back, he deepened the kiss. Later. Later they could talk more in depth about the fetuses, about his alcoholism, about her dreams, Valkorion, but for now they had each other and that was all that mattered.

 

Tandeyr growled wantonly in her throat, hands spasming around Aric’s skull, a leg wrapping around his hips, moaning when she felt his member pressing against her thigh. “Please!” She whined.

 

“Always!” Growling, licking his way to her shoulder, Aric entered her, his teeth sinking into her skin at the same time.

 

Tandeyr howled at the intrusion, her nails raking down his back, her hips bucking against him. “Yes!” Gasping as she bit into his shoulder.

 

Mewling when he finally started moving.

 

#

“Do you think she told him?” Theron looked at Lana.

 

“Told him what?” Lana was frowning at her datapad.

 

“That she’s pregnant and has Valkorion is in her head.”

 

Lana looked askance at Theron before shaking her head. “Of course, she told him. Major Aric Jorgan is her husband. Her life-mate. She’d never keep such a massive secret from him.”

 

Theron chewed his thumb and nodded. “Makes sense.”

 

“Theron,” Lana placed a cool hand on his elbow, “we should be happy he’s alive.”

 

“I am happy.”

 

She gave him a look of disbelief. “Tan is Cathar, you didn’t stand a chance.”

 

“I know.” Theron looked away.


	36. Chapter 36

Gasping, Tandeyr arched into Aric as he pounded into her. They’d only been reunited for eighteen hours and already they’ve had sex twelve times. 

 

“Ngh! Aric!” She moaned into his ear. “Harder!”

 

Growling, he began slamming into her harder, breath whistling past his teeth, the sounds of her mewls of pleasure egging him on, music to his ears. He’d been too long without her.

 

“I love you.” He stole her lips in a needy kiss.

 

“I love you too!” She growled, nails raking down his skull, her channel clenching.

 

Nipping at her lips, shoving his tongue into her mouth, Aric threw her legs over his arms, bottoming out. Her cry muffled by their kiss, Tandeyr came, Aric seconds after.

 

“I missed you. So much, svet.” She whispered, kissing any part of his face she could reach.

 

Aric nuzzled her neck, licking and nibbling her skin. “I missed you too.” 

 

Beginning to purr, she ran her hands down his neck and across his shoulders. “Hold me.”

 

Laughing, he obliged, wrapping her so tightly in his arms.

 

Laying in the afterglow, his mate in his arms, Aric was complete. He didn’t realize how incomplete he was.

 

“Tan,” he nuzzled her cheek, “I have to tell you something.”

 

“Hmmm?” She stretched, her breath even as she sought his warmth.

 

She was asleep. Aric chuckled. She always seemed to be asleep when he wanted to talk to her about serious things.

 

“It’ll wait until the morning.” He kissed her temple.

 

“Mmhmm.” She absently tapped his cheek.

 

#

 

Odessen was huge. Bigger than Aric expected it to be. And the Alliance, also bigger than what he expected.

 

Sith, Jedi, Imperials, Republic, all working together. There were dozens of independents as well. People from Hutt space, pirates, smugglers, Chiss, Cathar from actual Cathar. Zakuulans. That was the biggest surprise to Aric. Zakuulans working to take down the ruler of Zakuul.

 

“Svet,” Tandeyr wouldn’t let go of Aric’s hand, afraid he’d disappear, or this was all some elaborate carbonite dream if she let go of his hand, “this is Koth. He helped Lana rescue me.”

 

Aric studied the former Zakuulan pilot. “Thank you.” Thrusting out his hand he waited for Koth.

 

“Yeah, no problem.” Koth shook Aric’s hand hesitantly. “So, you’re her husband, yeah?”

 

“Life-mate.” Tandeyr grinned up at Aric, her eyes sparkling with love. “He’s my life-mate. There’s a difference.”

 

“And that is?” Koth asked.

 

Aric growled.

 

She giggled, leaning her head on Aric’s arm. “Ask Lana.”

 

Koth watched as Tandeyr pulled her grumpy husband away. “Ask Lana. Right.” 

 

#

 

Aric waited in the medbay, if the massive wing could be called a medbay. It was too huge, too enormous for it to be a simple medbay. Hospital? 

 

“Major Jorgan.” Doctor Lokin was another of those strange additions to the Alliance. “How may I help you?” Senya entered the room. “Oh! And Senya, how lovely to see you! I am willing to help you, but I must help Major Jorgan first.”

 

Senya arched an eyebrow and came to stand at Aric’s side.

 

Clearing his throat, Aric scratched his neck. “About that, Doctor Lokin, I’ve developed a bad habit of drinking.” He stopped. “I’ve become an alcoholic in the absence of Tan. And I need to detox. Get rid of it. Stop the habit.”

 

Doctor Lokin nodded in understanding. “Ah, yes. Grief does many things to us, my boy.” He smiled kindly at Aric. “And let me guess, Senya is here to help using the Force?”

 

“Yes.” Senya was of the opinion that Major Jorgan should take care of his problem the hard way. But Senya also wanted to do what was best for Tandeyr. And Tandeyr taking care of a husband detoxing, being pregnant with quadruplets, and trying to stop Arcann was not what was good for Tandeyr.

 

Doctor Lokin understood that as well. “Right, well.” He pulled up Aric’s medical chart. “Looks like you just need to stop with the cravings. Which will take a few hours of Senya invading your mind.” Walking over to a cabinet he pulled out a serum and a needle. “This serum will help you, makes you highly open to suggestion. I inject you with this, Senya gets in your head. Then voila! No more being an alcoholic and you can focus your full attention on our girl.”

 

Aric felt the judgmental stares. “Yes.”

 

“Good. She deserves support, not to be the support.” Doctor Lokin smiled kindly as he jammed the needle in Aric’s neck. “Senya, your turn.”

 

Senya nodded. “Major Jorgan, I will inform you that normally, I could make this pain free.”

 

“But you aren’t as a punishment.” Aric sniffed, already his eyesight going fuzzy. “Understood. Anything for Tan.”

 

Senya and Doctor Lokin exchanged glances.

 

“I shall inform your lovely mate that you’ve enlisted mine and Senya’s help to get rid of some lingering trauma.” Doctor Lokin bowed and left the room.

 

“You realize I’m only helping you because of her, yes?” Senya asked, pulling up a seat and making Aric lay on the exam table.

 

“Perfectly.” Aric sighed, closing his eyes when he felt the woman’s fingers on his temples.

 

“She deserves to feel whole again.” Senya uttered, beginning the task.

 

Aric grunted in pain as the first tendril of Force entered his memories. Soon, the pain was too much to bear and he passed out, gasping “Tan” as blackness took him.

 

#

 

Senya fully expected Aric’s mind to be filled with his love of alcohol and anger, maybe some grief. But instead, she found grief and relief and love of Tandeyr. Not many people knew, but the Force attached itself to memories, good, bad, didn’t matter. If a strong emotion attached to a memory, so was the Force. And practically all of Aric’s memories had the Force attached to them. 

 

Senya went through his mind, severing every bit of need for any type of alcohol in his brain, and always finding happy memories of Tandeyr. Aric’s mind was a reel of his life with Tandeyr.

 

Aric Jorgan was as in love with Tandeyr as Tandeyr was in love with him.

 

Senya was looking at the second half of a whole.

 

Tears streaming down her face, Senya gentled her powers. Aric being an alcoholic wasn’t because of grief, it was because he failed at protecting his life-mate. His being an alcoholic was punishment. He was hoping that he’d die from his carelessness.

 

Going to Zakuul was his last-ditch effort to die in a blaze of glory because he couldn’t live without Tandeyr.

 

It was all so morbidly beautiful because that was exactly what Senya saw in Tandeyr’s mind when the former Zakuulan Knight checked to make sure Tandeyr was healed after Asylum.

 

#

 

Pacing her room, Tandeyr waited for Aric. Doctor Lokin sent an email earlier about him and Senya helping her mate through some trauma. But Tandeyr needed Aric with her.

 

“Saa.” Aric spoke softly coming through the door.

 

“Svet?” Tandeyr ran to him, her hands on his face. He looked happier and more relaxed. “It worked?” She asked hopefully.

 

“I’m cured.” He kissed her sweetly. 

 

Purring in delight, Tandeyr molded herself to his frame, deepening the kiss.


	37. Chapter 37

Tandeyr chewed her bottom lip and traced Aric’s face with her fingers. She hoped the kits looked like him although she knew that wasn’t possible. 

 

Truth be told, she had no idea how the kits would look. A half-breed and a full-breed never had mated and had kits before. At least not that she’d seen.

 

“Why do you insist on staring at me while I sleep?” Aric chuckled, popping an eye open to gaze at her.

 

“You’re beautiful.” Tandeyr sighed, nipping at his chest. “I like staring at you. It brings me joy.”

 

Grinning, purr rumbling his chest, he pulled her in for a kiss. “Staring at you brings me joy.”

 

“Really?” Mischief sparked in her eyes. “What else brings you joy?”

 

Aric nuzzled her face, his claws scratching her back. “Your scent, your hair in the moonlight, the way you laugh when you’re way too happy for any normal person, the sound of your giggles, the way you gasp my name when you come.” Tandeyr blushed to the roots of her hair. “The way you blush.” His hand stroked down her cheek. “I’ve always loved the way you blushed when I complimented or smiled at you.”

 

She smacked him. “You never smiled at me until after we killed Tavus, you know.”

 

“Not true. I smiled at you the first time we talked in the laundry room.” He loved her hair, grabbing a hank of it in his hand, he brought it up to his nose to smell, sighing as her scent washed over him. 

 

“You were so handsome and austere on Ord Mantell.” She kissed his chest. “I knew you’d never see me. And after the betrayal I knew you hated me.”

 

“I didn’t hate you.” Aric forced her to look at him. “I thought you were adorable. You were a tiny ball of retribution and determination.”

 

“Tiny?” Tandeyr frowned at him.

 

“You are rather on the small side, Tan.” Kissing her nose, he licked her cheek. “I thought I screwed up when I insulted you about your heritage. I’m still surprised you forgave me.”

 

“Svet, I forgave you the minute you said I was the best of both.” Smiling, she began petting his face. “When did you start liking me romantically?”

 

Aric’s brow furrowed. When did he start liking Tandeyr romantically? “I’d say it was probably the first time I successfully flirted with you. You blushed and smiled at me, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, the light caught your hair I began wondering what it would look like spread across my pillow.” He cleared his throat. 

 

Tandeyr feigned a glare. “That’s when you knew you wanted to have sex with me, not that you liked me romantically.”

 

Sighing, he licked her nose. “I knew I liked you and wanted to date you when you told that private to shut up when he was being mean to Dorne on Taris.” His admission earned him a kiss. “What about you? When did you start liking me romantically and not just for my good looks?” He asked when the kiss ended.

 

“When you helped me hide from Needles.” Blushing deeper still, she hid her face in his chest. “But when you rebuffed my advances on Coruscant I knew I’d never get you.”

 

They gazed at each other.

 

“I love you.” He stroked her hair. 

 

“I love you too.” Sighing, she pulled herself up for a kiss.

 

The kiss was long, it lingered.

 

“Svet, what did you want to talk about the other night?” She broke the kiss.

 

“The five years you were missing. Saa,” he stopped, how did he explain? “I was not living up to your memory.”

 

“What do you mean?” Chirping, she began caressing his face.

 

“I became an alcoholic. I failed you.” He pleaded with her to understand, eyes imploring.

 

Tandeyr gasped. “What?”

 

“Senya and Doctor Lokin fixed me though, made sure I’m not an alcoholic anymore. So, I can be here for you. For the kits, for the Alliance.” He was babbling now. He couldn't help it, her face was so sad, so broken. Aric broke her heart. “Tan?”

 

She just stared at him, eyes searching his face.

 

“Please say something.” He hesitantly touched her face; she didn’t pull away. “Please?”

 

“Svet,” she paused, hands still caressing his cheeks, wiping away his tears. “Thank you for telling me.” Kissing him, she hugged him, stroking the back of his head. “You didn’t fail me. Or yourself. The only reason why I haven’t drunk myself into a massive stupor is only because I haven’t been around alcohol.” A sob escaped her throat and Aric felt her tears on his neck and shoulders. “And then, when I was finally around alcohol, I learned I was pregnant. And I couldn’t do anything to harm the only thing I had left of you. I couldn’t.” Sniffing she looked him in the face. “I have cried every single night since being unfrozen, wanting you, knowing that I failed you because I didn’t come back and you were alone.” Lips trembling, she pressed a needy kiss to his lips. “You’re not the failure, I am.”

 

“Saa!” Aric yanked her to him. “It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault.”

 

Tandery chuckled weakly. “It is.”

 

“Tan,” Aric pressed their foreheads together, “this is not an argument you can win.”

 

“And it’s not one you can either.” Tandeyr breathed in his scent. “We’ll just have to agree to disagree about who the failure is and whose fault it is.”

 

Aric spoke slowly. “Sure, we can agree. It’s Valkorion’s fault.”

 

They gazed at each other before both burst into a fit of giggles.

 

“Svet,” she kissed him, “I’m glad you’re here.”

 

Aric hummed agreement. “Me too, saa.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been spelling Valkorion's name "Valkorian" with an 'a' instead of an 'o' as the last vowel and I realized i was misspelling it in all my stuff when i played through the beginning chapters of KOTFE on my trooper and it's like "i've gone too far!" on most of my works but this one lol


	38. Chapter 38

“Are you sure you have to go back?” She was being ridiculous. Of course, Aric had to go back.

 

Aric nuzzled her face. “I promised I’d be back a week ago.” His thumb traced Tandeyr’s cheek.

 

“I know.” She sighed, leaning into his hand. “You’ll be back soon?”

 

“I’ll be back soon.” He pulled her in for a kiss.

 

Before five years ago, Aric hadn’t been able to be as affectionate with Tandeyr as both of them wanted. But since she was no longer a part of the Republic military, then he could be as affectionate as he wanted. As he always wanted. Which was constantly.

 

Purring, she molded herself against him, mouth greedy on his. Growling, Aric deepened the kiss.

 

The military hangar was not the best place for a make out session but, well, neither of them really cared.

 

It was the sound of Lana clearing her throat that broke the kiss.

 

“Commander,” there was an amused twinkle in Lana’s eyes, “your mate’s ship is stocked with supplies and Kanner has holoed twice in the past three hours asking if Major Jorgan was on his way back. She wants to impress her CO with her training.”

 

Tandeyr sighed, burying her forehead in Aric’s chest. “Fine.” She sighed, stroking Aric’s cheeks. “Go and let Kanner show off her leadership skills.”

 

Aric rolled his eyes, hugging his mate to him. “Fine. But if she starts getting a big head because you told me to compliment her, I’m blaming you.” He licked Tandeyr’s nose.

 

“I didn’t tell you to compliment her. I told you to go see.” Tandeyr rolled her eyes, nipping his chin.

 

Aric growled menacingly at her, his eyes heating the longer they gazed at each other.

 

Lana cleared her throat again, trying not to laugh. “Major Jorgan.”

 

Sighing, Aric nodded. “Fine. Alright. Alright. I’m going.” He turned back to Tandeyr, giving her a short if lingering kiss on her lips. “I’ll be back in three weeks for more supplies.”

 

“Call me as soon as you land.” Tandeyr said as she watched Aric walk away.

 

“What are you talking about? I’ll call you as soon as I leave atmo*!” Aric winked at his mate before entering his ship.

 

Tandeyr chewed her bottom lip and watched her husband’s ship leave.

 

Lana snorted a laugh, earning an annoyed glare from Tandeyr.

 

“What?” Tandeyr asked suspiciously. 

 

“You two are too adorable for words.” Came Lana’s reply.

 

Tandeyr opened her mouth, fully expecting to argue with her friend when her holo started ringing. “Hello?”

 

“Hey, saa, it’s me. I just left atmo.” Aric grinned at his wife.

 

Lana walked away the sounds of Tandeyr’s giggling following her.

 

“You know, I’ve known Major Jorgan off and on for several years and I have never once seen him like how he is with Tan.” Bey’wan observed.

 

Lana shrugged. “I guess since they’ve been reunited, he wants to let her know exactly what she means to him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> atmo -short for atmosphere. and yes, i got this term from Firefly/Serenity. no idea if it's used in anything else


End file.
